One Year and Seven Months

One year ago today, my Nanny (my mom's mom) passed away.  When I think back on the year, so much has changed.  At the time I was finishing up school and about halfway through my pregnancy.  It saddens me that my Nanny never had the chance to meet Ashton in person.  I know she is here watching down on us, I can sense her so much.  The nanny that I knew cooked all of the time; baked banana nut bread, fried okra, chicken salad, cinnamon toast... these were a few of my favorites.  Of course I have attempted all of these with her handwritten recipes, but they just aren't the same.  I spent summers at her house as a kid.  I was so close to my nanny and papa, and miss them so much.  I loved playing skipbo and train with them.  I loved all of her cute little "nannism" sayings.  This nanny that I miss though has been gone for awhile.  Once my papa had a stroke, she got sick with cancer.  A big part of her left with him and she was never quite the same.  As sad as I am she is gone, I am just as happy that she is without pain and back in my papa's arms.  I do hope that I have the love and relationship that my grandparents had.  A lot of times Nick reminds me of my papa, and I love that.  Papa thought it was hilarious to smack my nanny's butt everytime she bent over, and she would always yell "GERALD!"  Nick too thinks it is absolutely hilarious to smack my butt, and as mad as it makes me, I love it and hope he never stops.  Nanny, I am thinking about you today and every day, I love everything you taught me and hope to be everything you were.  Now it would behoove me to stop this sappy post, or my tears will make it too hard to write more! :)

Also today, Ashton Kole Evans is 7 months old!  I cannot believe how fast time is going by with him.  I feel like I should be starting on his first birthday planning and I just finished helping my sister with nephew!  Ashy (as we say a lot here) loves everything Caden.  I know he started crawling just to keep up with him.  He searches the room not for mommy but for his big brother.  He laughs at everything Caden does and says.  He does not like any baby toy but instead any toy of Caden's.  It is so cute how close the two of them already are.  I know this will change into fighting, but I hope that they can always remain best buds.  Ashton also loves food.  Not baby food, but real people food.  He will try anything we are eating and generally loves it.  He will eat baby food, but does not tolerate anything with corn in it.  We are working on bye bye, which is really anything that resembles an arm or hand movement.  He loves to explore and find any tight space to crawl into and get stuck in.  Baby proofing was done with Caden to be a good first time mom, it has become an absolute necessity with Ashton.  I love what Ashton has brought to our family and cannot remember how easy life must have been as a family of three. :)  Post and Carry on with the rest of your day.