"Nooooo"

  

 I think I'm kicking and screaming knowing that I have to head back to school in a few days. We have truly had such an amazing summer, and I am in awe at the amount we have done and experienced. I am in even more awe of how much Connor has grown, learned, and developed. He has certainly grown into toddlerhood, and I can't believe he will be turning two in just a few months. While Uncle Casey was home we tried to do all of the fun local things to do in Miami, and of course we had to take a trip down to Lincoln Road on Miami Beach. Connor's favorite part of the excursion was the Frozzzen Hot Chocolate from Serendipity 3. I can't wait to take him to NYC to experience the original. I don't think he was complaining though, and neither were any of us!

 Another fun adventure we took was to the Keys. It was one place Uncle Casey specifically asked to visit while he was home. We made it into an overnight trip and took advantage of all of the fun touristy things to do. Of course there's Robbie's where you feed the Tarpon's and Connor enjoyed throwing the bait fish into the water. At one point he even got to lay down on the dock to tempt one of the big fish. He is fearless, and we held on really tightly! We also ate at the original Islamorada Fish Company for dinner, and had so much fun! The sunset was breath taking and Connor liked throwing his french fries off the dock to the fish below.

 Our group shot of the Southernmost Tourists of the Continental USA. Though it was a little hot to begin with we had fun walking all over Key West. We actually went to Hemingway's House and toured the grounds, while Connor looked for his Kitties at every turn. His rendition of "here kitty kitty" is pretty hysterical! It did end up raining while we were there and that really cooled everyone off. We stopped at Red Fish, Blue Fish for lunch, and walked for our delicious chocolate dipped key lime pie. I think Connor has my sweet tooth, because all of my yummy pie on a stick was shared with him!

 No summer is complete without swimming, and we have had our fair share of it this summer. He has learned how to jump in Grandma's pool, and loves playing on the steps. He got to go to the Splash Park with his friend Nathaniel and they both had fun splashing, and sliding all over the place. It was cute how Connor would call him "baby" and really wanted to be near his friend. He even shared his fruit bites with him. Now that's a big deal!

 On our last Sunday Family Night with everyone here, we took a picnic dinner to the beach. What is summer without the beach right? Connor of course loved playing in the sand and surf, and it was great quality time together. Connor lathers his love on us, and there was no lack of kisses and hugs. I think he knew Uncle Casey was getting ready to leave. He would latch on to his leg and hug to his little heart's content.

Connor is growing daily. This past weekend he learned the word I thought would never come..."no". Honestly it is so funny to hear it coming out of his mouth, but not always what I want to hear. It's usually a long sound with lots of O's attached. He also got a new toy this weekend that has now become a favorite. It's a stuffed Ty Giraffe that he calls "Raff". Without prompting when it was put away he started calling for it immediately, "Raff! Raff!". His first time saying a word he wasn't specifically taught. It was an neat moment for Daddy and I. Just today he started trying to say his own name! He usually refers to himself as "Baby" when he sees himself in pictures, but today we turned a new page. I don't want to miss any of this. I love being there when he does and tries new things. I think I hold onto our shared apron strings as much as he does. This will be a tough school year to get through. I am blessed to have a great job, but I love being mom so much more. Who wouldn't want to be around this precious boy all the time?