Football

We're getting ready for football season around here!

All ready to cheer on Uncle Reb!!!

 

Go Hornets!

4 Months!

My little chunky monkey is four months old! Somehow four months seems way more monumental than three months did...not sure why... I'm just purposing to enjoy every minute of his little life.  I know it will be gone before I know it and I don't want to look back and realize I missed it because I was too busy being tired, or task oriented, or so busy looking ahead I missed what was right in front of me! I look forward to him crawling, walking, talking, getting to know how his mind works, and such but for right now I'm just soaking in where he is now!

So handsome! (Thanks cousin Katherine for the outfit!)

•  16.5 lbs. (according to our scale)
• Back to eating twice a night (Thank goodness!! That every two hour thing was making mama a not very nice person!) between 1-2 and 5-6
• Almost sitting...still topples over some but even in just the last couple days has seemed to get it.

•  Had his first cold....so sad :( 
•  Rolling EVERYWHERE! For someone who can't actually crawl he sure gets around!

Covered himself up

  

 

 

• Started "hitting" when he gets excited
• Knows mom and dad and I'm pretty sure he knows his grandparents, aunts, and uncles too now.  
• He loves it when Gunnar gets home, he stares at him seriously for a second or two then breaks out into the best and biggest grin ever!  

• Started this happy scream cough cackle thing when he's happy.  Gunnar and I haven't decided if its more cute or annoying yet. 
• He intentionally grabs things now and really concentrates hard when he wants to grab something... I love to see his little mind working!

 He is also very adept at unintentionally grabbing my hair!! (which causes this face!)

 

• Stayed in the nursery for the first time, while we went to FPU.
• Loves his new frog bouncer! 

 My little kitchen helper and workout partner!

• Has pushed up onto all fours several times but I think it was more accidental than on purpose. 
• Has the best "just woke up" faces.   

• Learned and loves peek-a-boo!

 

• Has attended his fair share of weddings for only being 4 months old! He seems to like the wedding planner though :) 

• Nurses like a champ! 
• Really likes any type of bottle, big or small!

• Wearing 6-9 month clothing and seems to be outgrowing something new everyday!
• Graduated to facing forward and seems to be a fan!

• Visited Tom Green for the first time.  

• "Shot" his first AR-15 that Uncle Reb just bought!

 Safety first! Gotta have ear plugs!

• Daddy got to carry him for the first time in his new carrier! 
  
  
  
  
  
  I sure love my little growing family, slobbery baby and all!
  
  
  
   We love you Monte James!

Videos and rolling

So Monte rolled from his back to tummy for the first time yesterday.  Gunnar was so excited because he saw him do it for the first time and I missed it.  I've seen everything first so far haha When he first rolled from tummy to back it was mostly accidental but rolling from back to tummy has to be done on purpose.  We were at Sid and Ann's yesterday and I went outside to load something in the truck and when I came back in he had rolled onto his tummy.  I tried to get it on video for his grandparents and got about 10 videos like these faking me out!

 

 

When I finally gave up and just texted them one of those, I looked down and he had done it! Little stinker!

Finally caught it! No longer is anything on the floor safe from our little rolly polly! (love his little fake coughs!)

Frio River

VACATION!

Since Gunnar was 11 months old, his family, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, etc, have been going to the Frio River every summer!  That's 25 years! Pretty fun!  I think they took one summer off and rented a houseboat on Amistad but still!  So this year we got to take Monte to the same place Gunnar's parents took him as a baby.  They've even stayed at the same campground every year.  Such a great tradition!  A lot of family couldn't make it this year. As all the cousins get older it's not always possible for everyone to get off work, school etc.  There were 14 of us there at one point.  These pictures aren't in order and there are a lot of them, it was just so hard to choose! The river was superb this year and a few of the cousins, Reb, Emily, and Joe Todd, (they were there the whole time) made every single float this year!  They said that's never been done that they can remember!  

 Setting up camp!  They've camped at the same location so long they have it down to a science, from lights and tents, to food and sleeping arrangements!  We ate GREAT food, played 300 hands of spades, learned and played Rook, discussed sports, politics, and funny youtube videos, went shopping, walked to the office for Wifi, and took turns holding Monte!

Joe and Aunt Joni

 


Reb and Joe ready to float.

Getting a snack from Grandad at the "play place."  The "play place" is what they call the spot on the river that's at our campground.  It's the perfect place to hang out for all ages!  There's deep water, little rapids, a huge tree and rope swing, and a really shallow spot for chairs all in one small area.

Cousins with Mimi...missing several

It's a tradition to take a cousin picture, lined up by age, in the road every year.  Sometimes they leave gaps if people are missing.  This year everyone missing was older than Gunnar so no "gaps" so to speak.  It is fun to look back and see how they have all changed and grown from year to year.  Mimi always brings photo albums of the past years for everyone to look at.

The originals

With the "add on" and next generation, Monte and me.

The three professional river rats! They floated every float this year!

Hammocks were a popular past time this year.  Monte liked the pattern.

Monte's first time in the river! He kicked and kicked!!

"What is that thing?!"

Mimi and Aunt Joni

He seems to take after me and Uncle Reb and loves water!

Hanging out with Em!

I think we're going to start a new Sullenger tradition and take a yearly family picture at the play place

It's hard to get a good pic with a baby.  There might have been a few outtakes!

Monte loving the river with Annie and Grandad!

All tuckered out from playing in the river! (in his AWESOME onsie from Aunt Sara & Uncle Wyatt)

The cooks! 

 We love Mimi!

 Playing with Annie

 I love my Monte James!

 

 So pretty! (well minus all our chairs!)

 Best feeling ever!!

 
So I've heard a story of a long time rivalry between these two!  I believed it when I saw Joe pick up and dump Ann into the river!

The Sullenger "kids"!

 Mimi with one of her Great-Grandsons!

 Getting ready!

Floatin'

Ready for the river!!

Enjoying time with Grandad

So serious...

One day I had caked sunscreen on him when we took him to the river earlier in the afternoon so I really wanted to give him a bath and wash it all off but there were no bathtubs there.  We improvised by using an ice chest.  He loved it although he was almost too big for it, his head was kinda squished up in one corner.  We could also bathe him outside that way where it was hot because it was freezing inside the cabins.

He was a fan!

Love that smile!

Mary put him to sleep several evenings.

 

Gunnar had the idea to lay him like this and he loved it! He could see the water and rocks but be out of the water. 

The Ethridge girls!

Family time!

Hanging out with Uncle!

Snacking with Daddy!

The original Ethridge girls!

Seems like an awesome place to take a nap to me!!

Reb brought his GoPro and got some fun videos and pics! 

Joe and Reb like the floaties while Emily and I still prefer tubes.  The jury's still out on which one is actually better!

At the end of a longer float just waiting for our ride.  Gunnar and I would leave Monte with whoever didn't want to float, mainly Sid and Ann with a bottle or two then go float the river.  Monte got to stay in the cabins or shade during the hot part of the day then we'd all go down to the play place in the evenings and hangout.  I think they enjoyed babysitting as much as we enjoyed floating!

Take me back!  This was a stretch of river on the float we call the "low water crossing."  The great thing about this float is that it ends at the "play place" and is a shorter float so it's great to do in the evenings or when you don't want to be on the river for hours! You just float up to "home" and don't need someone to pick you up!

 It's more fun to float together!

Cousins!

Reb and I taking on some rapids!

The water was so great!  Clear and cold!

Me, Sid, Gunnar, and Reb!

Emily, Joe Mark, Mary, and Reb

Hanging out at the Play Place.  Perfect spot to enjoy the river, each other, and a cold drink!

Sid jumping off the Cliff!

Summer fun!

Reb and Joe (and the cooler!!)

 I married into such a wonderful family!  So fun! They really all love being around each other and value family time! They're been going to the river as a family for 25 years! I grew up without any cousins near my age so marrying into a family with lots of ready made cousins seems so special and wonderful to me!  I love watching so many people whom I've come to love and value highly love on my son so much!  He is one loved kid!