The McKinley Family

Super Pumpkin

2011-11-03T08:16:00.000-07:00

Because Andrew is not into the whole dress-up-for-Halloween thing, we had to get creative...take a pumpkin costume made for a small dog, add a black cape, and voila - Super Pumpkin! Classic!

Halloween '11

2011-10-31T17:18:00.000-07:00

Down by the River

2011-09-03T18:55:00.000-07:00

Today, we went to the river to enjoy the pretty day and get some exercise. Andrew and his daddy have one thing in common for sure - they are one with nature. Mama thinks nature is cool and all definitely not as much as these two. The water was freezing, but that didn't stop them! I was happy just being the photographer...

C'mom, Mom!

Leading the way with his walking stick

Silly Boy

2011-08-23T16:14:00.000-07:00

Funny Faces

2011-08-23T16:04:00.000-07:00

Rain Boots

2011-08-21T12:09:00.000-07:00

It is really sad how long it's been since I've updated. I know it's not much, but it's all I've got for now. Andrew's new rain boots. Maybe it will snow this winter, and he won't have to wear grocery bags on his feet like a little redneck baby!

Pool day!

2011-06-26T06:33:00.000-07:00

Andrew has started to really love the pool. He'll jump in now {with a little help}!

Summer Splash Party

2011-06-26T06:30:00.000-07:00

Andrew's daycare had a fun splash party today! This is one of the many perks of a small in-home daycare. Ms. Sheryl had a kiddie pool, 2 water slides, and lots of fun beach balls. I left work a little early to go and take a few pics (on my phone, so please forgive the quality) and splash around a little bit.

Running around with Alexander

Ms. Sheryl

Buddies

2011-06-26T06:23:00.000-07:00

Keegan and Andrew are best buds! Keegan and Ms. Kelly came over today to play in the backyard with us. The boys mostly pushed around this riding toy, including to the neighbor's yard and then talked to their cat through their back door. Whoops - a fence is on our wish list!

Braves Game

2011-06-18T18:11:00.000-07:00

The Becks invited us to go to a Braves game to sit in some pretty good seats that Matt got from work. Scott usually checks the weather about 14 times a day, but he must have been off his game that day. There must have been like a 145% chance that it would rain...or POUR on us. We had to take cover most of the game, but it was fun nonetheless!

Before the downpour

Taking cover

Ms. Sha Sha

2011-06-15T19:04:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, we have struggled with the right daycare for Andrew, and it's taken us a while to find the perfect fit. Luckily, we have found it. A friend of Scott's parents happened to get an email from their neighborhood e-news about an in-home daycare, and was nice enough to think of us and forward it on. I kept the email for weeks and weeks, trying to get Andrew comfortable at his more commercial daycare. There was never a day that he didn't cry big crocodile tears, and beg me to not leave him. Broke my heart every time and didn't make for a pleasant day at work. After about 2 months of that torture, his ailment after ailment, we knew it was time for a change. We really had no problem with the school itself. They were doing everything right, but it just didn't work for Andrew. So, I re-read the email that was forwarded to me weeks prior, and decided to give this in-home daycare a shot. Turns out, "Busy Bees Daycare" is owned and run by a licensed childcare provider, who has run it out of her home for over 20 years. We went to meet Ms. Sheryl one weekday night, and immediately fell in love. We were there for no more than an hour, and in that time, Andrew sat down, read a book, played in her backyard, and even ended the visit with a big poopie diaper! I had prayed that God give me signs if this was meant for us, and I KNOW those were signs!

Like we expected, Andrew was teary for a little while when we dropped him off but not long at all - only 2 short days! On day 3, he went straight in to play in the floor, ride the horsey, and give "Ms. Sha Sha" some love. HOW HAPPY THIS MAKES HIS MOTHER! I know he loves it there. He's actually told me no when it's time to go home. I never thought I'd see the day! Ms. Sheryl gives him lots of love and attention. They play with puzzles, read, sing, dance, playing outside for hours, have picnics outside, and have so much fun! It really does make a big difference in how happy Andrew is even at home. He seems to be perkier, more playful, and just plain giggles all the time. He goes to bed worn out - so much so that we've weaned him from his paci!

We've begun working on the food now. Ms. Sheryl prays over Andrew everyday about his eating, so we've started doing the same. We haven't made progress yet, but I know that day will come. Until then, chicken nuggets and waffles it is! :)

Hilton Head 2011

2011-06-15T18:41:00.000-07:00

We are so happy we got to go on our annual Hilton Head trip with Scott's parents this year. With Scott's new job, we weren't sure if it was going to work out. His boss ended up letting him take a couple days off, given that he would visit the Atlanta Bread store in HHI. So, to the beach we went!

We think Andrew has grown so much in just the past few weeks because he was a TROOPER the whole time! He seems like such a big boy now. Sleeping in a twin bed, not needing his paci anymore (yippee!), and determined to say his prayers before mealtime and bedtime...what happened to our baby? It's bitter-sweet, as all parents say, but ultimately, it all makes life worth while! Ok, so now, what you actually are looking for...the pics!

Walking to beach for the first time this year

Our tree - where we got engaged 4 years ago:)

Playing in Harbour Town

Watching Gregg Russell sing. Scott's being going to see Greg for over 25 years. I'm not really sure who liked it more!

Cracking me up

Our date night (thanks to Andrew's MiMi and Grandaddy for keeping him!)

Boating

2011-06-15T18:12:00.000-07:00

We've taken the boat out a couple times so far to try to get Andrew accustomed to the water. So far, he's done really well! He loves to go fast in the boat and splash in the water. Wearing his life vest is another story. This is what happened when we put it on him for the first time - he wore himself out crying...

He actually slept on the floor of the boat for about an hour. {He was lathered up with sunscreen, and the cover was up.}

Look at that clear Allatoona water:)

He was having a good time picking the leaves.

Stone Mountain

2011-05-28T17:45:00.000-07:00

We took Andrew on his very first Stone Mountain trip a few weeks back.

Hold on - I gotta take this call.

Top of the mountain

Big {Sick} Boy Bed

2011-05-22T07:01:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been through so much this past month. Let's see if I can remember it all: walking pneumonia, some sort of viral infection, pink eye, an ear infection, the stomach bug (or maybe an allergic reaction to amoxicillin...that is yet to be figured out), and endless fevers. We've spent a small fortune at the doctor's office and have gotten to know Dr. Bien really well. Thank Heavens for Andrew's MiMi and Grandaddy - they've picked him up from school and taken him to the doctor a couple times for us. I'll back up and talk about school. We love Andrew's school, don't get me wrong, but I've never seen my child so sick. We've been told this is normal, but how much more can a 2-year old take? Doctors have told us that because he's in daycare, he'll be sick every month until he's about 4. WHAT?! This just cannot be. Is there some sort of support group I can join for parents of children who have to go to daycare every once in a while? I need one.

And another mountain to climb - we've bucked up and decided to tackle the eating (or shall I say not eating). We've certainly got a challenge on our hands. We want the best for Andrew, so we'll put him through a little toddler torture to get him to eat some nutritious food. He's growing for sure - 30th percentile for weight and 50th for height. But chicken nuggets and waffles does not a small body good. Doctors are concerned about his "caloric intake" and "digestive health". If he's anything like his daddy, we have nothing to worry about as far as caloric intake, that's for sure! Digestive health...well, we've had that problem from day one. Sorry, TMI.

I'll leave you with our sick boy's newest milestone - BIG BOY BED! He's been a trouper so far, with one long nap and a full night's sleep. Both without getting out of bed. WOOHOO! We're so proud!

2!

2011-05-22T06:33:00.001-07:00

Andrew has been saying he's 2 for months - now he's finally right! We had a great time celebrating with our family!

Easter 2011

2011-04-24T11:19:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been battling a really bad cold for a couple weeks now and hasn't felt well at all. After two trips to the doctor, we finally figured it all out - he has atypical (walking) pneumonia AND a sinus infection. I'm shocked he even smiled at all on Easter, but he did...

After being a big boy in the church nursery

We both have wild hair:)

Seeing what the Easter bunny brought him...

I ordered his Easter basket from a lady on Etsy, and she mailed the original one to another person. To make sure Andrew had his basket (more like a tote) in time for Easter, she made him another one for free!

The free one:)

Catch!

Opening his Easter basket from Gran-daddy and MiMi

Glad he knows what to do with a toothbrush!

Playing with cousin Will

He was really more interested in smashing the ants.

MiMi counting all the eggs the boys found

Pretty much the look he's had on his face for the last couple weeks:(

TWO!

With cousins Will and Jack

This turned out exactly like we expected but nothing like what we wanted!

Not-so-welcomed cousin love:)

Happy Easter!

Shhhhh!

2011-04-05T16:57:00.000-07:00

Andrew was saying his letters, and Harley tried to throw him off. It didn't work though! I am so happy I got this on camera!!

Playtime!

2011-04-05T11:03:00.001-07:00

Today is my last day as a stay-at-home mommy, so we went out with a bang this morning at Play with Ms. Kelly and buddy Keegan. The boys had a grand time! It just about wore us mommies out, but it was well worth it.

Go Kelly and Keegan!

SLIDE!

Happiness

Really wild hair and getting sleepy

Random Letters

2011-02-23T17:42:00.000-08:00

Pretty Day

2011-02-21T17:45:00.001-08:00

Scott's Aunt Bonnie passed away last week, so after we left the zoo on Saturday, we went to Griffin, GA for the visitation. As the family celebrated Aunt Bonnie's life, Andrew got to meet lots of family members that he's never met. Sadly, we didn't get any pictures of him with his little cousins but I hope to get some good shots next time! I did snap a few pics right after we got him dressed.

Zoo Atlanta

2011-02-21T17:28:00.000-08:00

You sure would've never known it was February 19th last Saturday. We took our first family trip to the zoo, and it felt like a glorious spring day! I didn't get many pictures of Andrew with the animals because he wanted to do everything himself. This included not wanting to be held up to the animals where he could see. Luckily, we got a few pics. Zoo Atlanta doesn't have any animals that you've never seen, so I won't bore you with pictures of only animals. Except a gorilla. Who doesn't like a gorilla?

My feeble attempt at capturing nature.

Look at those muscles!

Admiring the snoozing tiger

Those cute little spider monkeys are in the blurry background.

Feeding the birds...can you see the ear-to-ear grin?

A Sunday Stroll

2011-02-13T14:20:00.000-08:00

Wants to climb the tree with Daddy so bad!

Wrestling

2011-02-06T07:04:00.000-08:00

Keegan and Andrew are big buds! They've both really starting noticing each other lately, and it's too cute. They're both "all boy", and the wrestling has begun! I think Andrew was mostly trying to give Keegan some love in these pics. They both thought it was hilarious...

Keegan's defense - sticking his finger in Andrew's nose:)

Kitchen Floor Reno

2011-02-06T06:49:00.001-08:00

During the week of the snow storm, Scott was hard at work in the kitchen. He ripped up all the hardwoods (which was a HUGE job) and laid down tile. It was a bigger project than I imagined, so I'm very proud of him for how great it turned out! What a handy man we have around!

Hard at work

Before...

...After...

A Walk in the Park

2011-01-31T17:37:00.001-08:00

Last Saturday was a gorgeous day, so we took Andrew to the park. Needless to say, he loved it!

Watching the ducks

Really wishing he could kick the ball!

Snow 2011

2011-01-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Saying "It's cold!"

Don't ask how I made these footprints...

It looks like he's going down the hill, but we don't actually have any hills in our yard. And that baby bathtub didn't really help either!

Makeshift snow outfit - grocery bags on feet and socks on hands. He hated it.

Christmas at Gimme and Pop's

2011-01-09T20:43:00.001-08:00

The week after Christmas, we loaded up and headed to Mississippi to Gimme and Pop's house. All Andrew's aunt, uncles, and cousins were there to play with. It was a madhouse and a TON of fun!

All the kids stockings (including their mom and dads - the "big" kids!)

Playing with Isaac

Vegging with Pop

Monkeying around with Gimme

Andrew's new tool bench from Gimme and Pop

Scott's gift from my mom and dad

Dreaming of the outside with Hugh

Go Bulldogs!

Andrew loved Hugh's new roller coaster

Excited to see some fireworks with Dad!

The Wrights

Gimme and Pop is grandchildren Heaven

Not really sure how this foosball thing works:)

Chair

2011-01-09T20:41:00.000-08:00

Andrew will sit in his chair...

But he'd rather climb on it!

Christmas 2010 Snow!

2011-01-09T20:40:00.000-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas treat! Andrew got his very first Christmas snow!

Christmas with MiMi and Mac

2011-01-09T20:28:00.001-08:00

On Christmas Day afternoon, we got dressed and went over to Andrew's Mimi and Mac's house to open gifts and eat lunch. Andrew had a great time with all his new fun stuff!

A family picture at the Clevelands

One of many trips down the slide

New chair!

Christmas 2010

2011-01-09T20:21:00.001-08:00

What a wonderful Christmas we had! Even though Andrew was sick, he remained in good spirits and kept a smile on his sweet face. These pictures are from Christmas morning...

Lots more to come...

2010-12-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

No need to fix the broken camera! Santa brought us a Nikon D3100! I've taken about 400 pictures so far, so I've got some sorting (and learning) to do. Until then, I'll leave you with this...

Poor thing has been sick this past week. This picture tells Andrew's story very well: tears, snot, and slobber, all in one picture. :( However, he kept his Christmas spirit and remained a trooper!

Merry Christmas!

2010-12-26T09:00:00.000-08:00

A Few More Pics:)

2010-12-23T14:35:00.001-08:00

2010-12-21T16:03:00.000-08:00

Our friend, Lisa Rappa, has started a photography business and takes some beautiful pictures! We went to the Roswell Mill and Barrington Hall last Saturday, and I am absolutely in love with how the pictures turned out! If you're in the market for a photography for your family, Lisa is great!

2010-12-18T08:13:00.000-08:00

Andrew and I have had so much fun the past few days! Because I had a few vacation days left at work, I took Thursday and Friday off. We've done lots of fun stuff: ate lunch together, went to Monkey Joe's, played at Alex and Anthony's house, read tons of books, danced a lot, and even got in a little Christmas shopping!

Ok, here's my update on how much Andrew has grown. He's really starting to become a little boy! He can now say lots of things, like...

ball
juice
Mama
Daddy
Uh-oh
blanket (more like "bankie")
starfish (more like toteesh")
Santa (Comes out "Tantas". He hates the actual Santa but loves to point out all the Santas around the house and at stores.)
diaper
cracker
cheese
please
shoes
boots (pronounced "booty")
water
two
bee
pretty
yes
no
blue
purple
car
makes all the animals sounds
loves to count (sounds like "ta-cu, ta-cu, ta-cu, ta-cu, ta-cu, ta-cu"... that's the best way I can describe it!)
lots of other things I just can't think of right now:)

He gives love, hugs, and kisses all day long. Some we ask for, and some are just given when he feels like it. Sweetest thing in the whole world!

Our camera is still broken, so I've been trying to take some pictures on my phone. The quality isn't great, but it's all I've got for now...

Winding down after a fun morning, watching Dinosaur Train.

All bundled up!

Climbs the ladder all by himself!

And slides down like a big boy!

Excuses, Excuses

2010-12-13T05:10:00.000-08:00

Hello fellow bloggers! I've gotten a little grief for my lack of blogging lately. I wanted to let you all know that our camera is currently broken (thanks to our precious little man, Andrew), but hopefully we'll have it up and running before Christmas. Until then, MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Playing in the leaves

2010-11-14T11:51:00.001-08:00

La La La...That's Elmo's World!

2010-10-31T18:35:00.000-07:00

Andrew let us put the Elmo costume on him...yipee!!!! We were soooo proud of him! We didn't get any smiles b/c he still feels a little under the weather and he had a red poof on his body, but I think he had fun!

We lucked out and found the Elmo shoes at WalMart today. We thought that if we couldn't get him to wear the hat, then the shoes would show what the costume was supposed to be.

Proud Mommy and Daddy!

Bulldog (with his mommy Kelly - poor Keegan is sick), Elmo, Firefighter Alex, and Dalmatian Anthony...cute!

Little Lamb Taylor, Elmo, Piggy Annie, and Tyler

Dava as Woody...so cool!

Trick or Treat!

Elmo and the Cat in the Hat (knows a lot about that!)

Well, at least Mommy was happy:)

Halloween Party

2010-10-31T18:24:00.001-07:00

These pictures are from our Halloween party at the Battaglia's the night before Halloween. We had a great time visiting with all our friends (sans Becks - we missed you, Becks!), eating LOTS of food, and seeing all the cuties in their costumes. Yet again, I didn't get any pics of the other kiddos this night. It was a little wild!

Andrew has been to the doctor twice this week. The first visit diagnosed him with mild bronchitis, croup, a low grade fever, and a sore throat. 3 days of Prednisone later...not any better. Worse really...the cough was worse and the snot was never-ending. So Andrew's MiMi and Mac took him back to the doctor, and we found out he had an ear infection. A few doses of antibiotics made this boy much better! He was ready to party!

Allison loaned us Jack's old Elmo costume from a few years ago, but Andrew would have NONE of that. He hated it! (I say hated in past tense. See next post!) So, we tried a last minute cowboy costume with a plaid shirt and guns in holsters, but we couldn't pull it off. Luckily, Adrienne let us borrow Alex's old frog costume. Andrew actually let us put it on him, and it was perfect!! Thanks, Adrienne!

My boy

Feeling much better

Poor Daddy had a headache all night:(.

Pumpkin Carving

2010-10-25T16:52:00.000-07:00

Ok, so our pumpkin doesn't have a face yet, but we'll get there. :)

Sweet Sleepy-Faced Boy

2010-10-25T16:49:00.000-07:00

I can't get enough of these sweet before school pictures. I love getting Andrew ready for school on Tuesdays!

Pumpkin Patch

2010-10-17T16:40:00.001-07:00

North Georgia Fair

2010-10-17T16:29:00.001-07:00

A couple weeks ago, we went with the Battaglias, Amy & Griffin to the fair. We saw lots of cool animals that I'd never seen at a fair, slid down the big slide, had our age and weights guessed, and ate really bad food. It was fun!

First Day of School

2010-10-17T16:24:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, October 5th, Andrew had his first day of school at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church "Wee School". He did great and didn't even cry! I was SO proud of him. He ate lunch with all his new friends, read some books with his teachers, and played outside. He was really sleepy when we picked him up at 1:00 because he still gets a morning nap, but this class doesn't take naps. All in all, the teachers said he had a good day!

Andrew can say "Pop"!

2010-09-27T18:25:00.000-07:00

If you know Andrew well, you know that he doesn't say very many things yet. He knows what he's talking about (and we do, too, most of the time), but mostly everything sounds like "DaDa". Well, he has added "Pop" to his small vocabulary! It is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard!

Trip to Mississippi

2010-09-27T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Andrew and I loaded up to go spend a long weekend at his Gimme and Pop's house in Mississippi. We had 3 full days there, and it was wonderful! Andrew got to meet some new friends, too. My friends from high school, Emily and Janet have children around Andrew's age, so we played with them one day. I didn't get many pictures of the weekend, but I did get a couple of Andrew and Emily's little girl, Ann Maxwell.

Riding the truck together...so cute!

Andrew (16 1/2 months) and Ann Maxwell (17 1/2 months)

GOOOO MSU Bulldogs!!

2010-09-27T18:16:00.000-07:00

Andrew has been cheering for MSU! We were so excited when they beat Georgia!!

My little bulldog:)

Lake Oconee Labor Day

2010-09-27T17:59:00.000-07:00

For Labor Day weekend, Andrew's Gimme and Pop came to town, and we all went to Lake Oconee for some fun in the sun! Michael's company was nice enough to let us use their really nice cabin for the weekend. All the cousins had so much fun. We celebrated Hugh's first birthday party over the weekend as well. It was great to spend the last days of summer together!

Riding the jetski with Dad

What is wrong with your face, Hugh?

Hugh's birthday banner that my mom and I made for him

Happy 1st Birthday, Hugh Man!

Ready for the water

Cool dude with his new backpack that Gimme gave him

Giving Gimme love to thank her for his backpack

Roswell Park

2010-09-27T17:30:00.000-07:00

I know I've been slacking on Andrew's blog...sorry! Lots of posts to come!

A few weeks ago, Scott and I took Andrew to the Roswell Park at Riverside. We didn't even know there were fountains there. Andrew had so much fun playing in the water, even though it was a little chilly.

The Varsity

2010-08-28T12:19:00.000-07:00

I think Andrew's first trip to The Varsity was a hit! Too bad his mom thinks it's disgusting.

Go Greyhounds!

2010-08-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

Last night we went to the first Pope High School football game of the season. Scott graduated from Pope in 1995. We roamed the halls for a little while, got to see Scott's old homeroom, the cafeteria, and some other memorable places for Scott. It was pretty cool, and Andrew loved watching all the other little kids play on the field.

Playing with the big boys

New buddy Brian

I think Andrew looks JUST LIKE Scott in this picture!

The Petting Zoo

2010-08-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we went to a friend's one year old's birthday party, and it was the coolest birthday party ever! There were animals of all kinds, a jumping castle (or whatever you call it), and Andrew even got a goldfish as a party favor! (Poor thing didn't make it.) Andrew LOVED the animals.

First Real Haircut

2010-08-28T11:53:00.001-07:00

Against our will (mine and Andrew's), we took Andrew to get his first real haircut last weekend. It wasn't easy, but he made it through!

~Before~

Thank goodness I remembered to bring the pacifier.

"Get off me, Lady!"

~And after~

Big boy!

War Wounds

2010-08-28T09:06:00.001-07:00

Andrew has taken a few nice falls lately and gotten pretty banged up. Here is a picture of the worst yet...

Watching TV with Dad

2010-08-06T19:52:00.000-07:00

Andrew's First Bike Ride

2010-08-06T19:40:00.000-07:00

It's still a little too hot right now for biking (or anything else outside, if you ask me), but when it cools off, we're doing this EVERY night! By the time we got this seat figured out, it was well after 9 PM and way past Andrew's bedtime. We decided to do a quick loop around the block anyway. I just about had a heart attack, but Andrew loved it!

Let's go, Mom!

Lake Lanier

2010-08-06T19:26:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago, some neighborhood friends {The Battaglias - Brian, Adrienne, Alex, & Anthony & The Becks - Matt, Kelly & Keegan} joined us and Andrew's MiMi and Mac at Lake Lanier for a day of fun in the sun. We all had a blast floating around with the kiddos and catching some rays. Some of us tubed, and we got to see Scott in action on the skis. We can't wait to teach Andrew all those tricks one day!

Kelly & Keegan, Adrienne & Anthony, Lindley & Andrew

Playing in the tube

Andrew only tolerated this floating thing

Playing on the "beach"

Oh, My Nose!

2010-07-14T17:58:00.001-07:00

Poor Andrew fell yesterday and scratched himself up. His nose wasn't even that red last night, but this is how it looked today...

Must not hurt because he's all grins! This kid sure does make me happy!

To Gimme and Pop's We Go

2010-07-14T17:45:00.000-07:00

Last weekend, Andrew and I packed up to go to Mississippi for Isaac's 3rd birthday party. Allison and her boys went too, so the whole Wright clan was together. Because we don't all live close to each other, we really treasure this time together. We just wish we could do it more often!

Pop made the grandkids a homemade slip-n-slide! Andrew was probably a little too young, but Anthony offered to take him down...

Slip-n-slides are NOT Andrew's favorite. I couldn't get a picture of it, but he freaked out!

But...he did love flirting (in his diaper) with one of Ellie and Isaac's friends who came to play.

Isaac's really cool Thomas the Train cake made by his mommy Hannah (with help from Allison). This cake was a hit!

Isaac was really happy about turning 3 - he wouldn't stop smiling! Andrew just cared about trains.

Reading

Cousins Hugh and Andrew watching Gimme take Abby the dog out. Too cute!

A Day at the Lake

2010-07-14T17:19:00.000-07:00

Andrew had his very first lake experience. I can't say it was a hit, but I'm sure it will be one day. I see many more lake trips in our future!

Getting ready for some boating

Swimming with Daddy...he really didn't like the life jacket, even though it looks like he did.

Let's go!

Just cruising