Your Baptism

Dear Nolan,

Last Sunday you were baptized—welcomed into the family of God—surrounded by those that love you and your family. You were baptized in Mimi and Papa Reif’s church in Charlotte. Papa Jack, Aunt Emily, and I drove to Charlotte on Sunday morning to be there for your special day. It was so dreary and cloudy outside, and we drove in rain most of the way--but the rain didn’t dampen our spirits! It was so good to see you and your Mom and Dad. We were also excited to see Mimi and Papa Reif, Aunt Winter, Uncle Aaron, Aunt Kimille, Uncle Mike, and all of their girls!

You were dressed in a white one-piece romper with a white sweater and little white shoes (borrowed from Aunt Kimille). Well, you were just the most adorable thing!! I hadn’t seen you in a couple of weeks and didn’t know if you would come to me or not—but you just smiled and leaned over for me to take you. My heart melted!!! We were all passing you around, but you didn’t seem to mind!

Nolan, you did so well during the service. You were handed over to a complete stranger who deliberately poured water on your head, and you took it like a little man!!! You didn’t cry—not even a whimper! We were all so proud of you. After the service, we went back to Mimi and Papa’s house. Mimi had invited family and friends over for a baptism celebration. We had such a good time—talking, laughing, eating, and just visiting!

You have brought more joy to our lives than you can imagine.

I love you sweet one. Good night.

GiGi :-)

One Year Old!

Dear Nolan,

I'm sorry I haven't written to you in so long. Much has happened in our lives since July 2008. GiGi accepted a new job--still in education, but not teaching. Your Dad got a new job too, and you moved to Georgia! You have experienced many "firsts" since July--first Halloween, first Thanksgiving, first night away from Mom and Dad, first Christmas, and FIRST BIRTHDAY!! You have also learned to do so many new things. Since July, you have learned to crawl, to pull up, and now you are "cruising" around the furniture and beginning to take steps. You have learned to make new sounds, and when GiGi calls, Mom always puts the phone on "speaker" so we can "talk" to each other.

You love books. You enjoy turning the pages, feeling the different textures, looking at the pictures, and listening to Mom and Dad as they read to you. You are getting quite a collection of toys! You have outgrown many of the "baby" toys that once made you smile. Now you have things like drums, a piano, trucks, balls, and a xylophone. You have stacking toys, nesting toys, sorting toys, toys that sing, toys that talk, toys you push, and toys with buttons, gears, and knobs! Your Mom has made little places for your toys in each room. That way, they're always close by!

Papa Jack, Aunt Emily, and I were able to visit you a few weeks ago for your first birthday. It was wonderful to see you and your Mom and Dad. We miss all of you so much. We had dinner in Athens at a restaurant called "The Globe." You sat at the head of the table with your Mom on one side and your Dad on the other. You were such a good boy--just checking everything out and enjoying your Cheerios! You are eating "big boy" food now--no more formula and rice cereal!!

After dinner, we went back to your house for your little party. Mom had decorated with blue banners and balloons that said "I'm One!" She even bought party hats and noise makers. Your Dad baked and iced cupcakes for us all. We enjoyed watching you eat YOUR cupcake--you LOVED it--especially the icing!! We all sang "happy birthday to you," and we took lots and lots of pictures!

You had so many presents to open! GiGi put curly ribbon on some of the gifts, and you enjoyed playing with the ribbon and looking at the bright colors. Your Mom and Dad helped you open your presents. You were so excited with it all--the paper, the boxes--everything!! You got some new clothes and new toys! Aunt Emily gave you some Appalachian State University overalls with a matching shirt--so precious!!

I miss you little man, and I love you so, so, so much! I'll write soon.

Goodnight sweet one,

GiGi :-)

To Nolan With Love.wmv

Your Dad's Birthday Celebration!

Dear Nolan,

Last Sunday, July 13, Papa Jack and I met you, your Mom and Dad, and Mimi and Papa Reif at Olive Garden Restaurant in Hickory to celebrate your Dad's birthday (July 15).

Papa Jack and I arrived first and got our table. You and your parents arrived next. You looked adorable. We were so happy to see you, and by the way you smiled, I think you were happy to see us! Mimi and Papa Reif arrived soon with your cousin, Ella!! We were so happy to see them, and glad that Ella came along too!

We enjoyed visiting with Mimi and Papa Reif. We hadn't seen them since the day you were born! Mimi and I took turns holding you, and your sweet cousin Ella helped with your bottle. She was just the perfect little Mother. I held you and you fell asleep in my arms. I put you back in your car seat, and you slept all the way through dinner. You were such a good boy!



After dinner, we enjoyed dessert. Mimi brought a big birthday cake for your Dad! It even had a soccer ball on it. The waitresses made your Dad stand up, and they introduced him to the other diners and sang to him. We all gave him a round of applause. He was such a good sport about it! Afterwards, your Dad opened his birthday cards and presents. He got a gift card to one of his favorite book stores, some money, and an i-pod stereo.



Your Dad had a nice birthday celebration, and I'm so glad we could be a part of it.

I love you sweet one.

GiGi :-)

Trip to Great-Grandma and Papa Wilson's House

Dear Nolan,

Hi sweet boy! Your Great-Grandma and Papa Wilson had been wanting to see you for a long time, SO on Sunday, June 29, Papa Jack and I met you and your parents in Wilkesboro, and we drove up to Mt. Airy for a visit! We had lunch together at a little restaurant just over the state line in Cana, Virginia. It was called the Hungry Farmer. We enjoyed a big buffet lunch, and of course, we enjoyed watching you! You entertained us all with your little sounds and smiles. The folks at the adjoining tables even commented about how cute you were!

After lunch, we headed down the mountain to Mt. Airy and Great-Grandma and Papa Wilson's house. This was your first visit to their house. You enjoyed looking at everything. Great-Grandma Wilson enjoyed holding you. She just couldn't believe how much you had grown since the last time she had seen you. Great-Papa Wilson took lots of pictures of you. We spread out a blanket for you on the living room floor, and enjoyed watching you kick those little legs. Of course, I got on the floor with you and tried as hard as I could to get you to laugh. . . and I did finally succeed!! It was a fun day! We left Great-Grandma and Papa's house with big hugs, "I love you's," and promises to get together again soon.

     

I love you so much Nolan. I will write again soon.

GiGi :-)

Father's Day 2008

Dear Nolan,

This year, your Dad celebrated his first Father's Day, and Papa Jack celebrated his first Father's Day as a Grandfather! Your Dad is so proud of you! Can't you just see it in his face?

Papa Jack and I met you, your Mom and Dad, and Emily and Bradley at the Broyhill Inn in Boone for a delicious brunch. After that, we drove out to the Mast General Store in Valle Crucis. You and your parents enjoyed spending some time at the Valle Crucis Park later that afternoon. It was a beautiful day.

Love you sweet one!

GiGi :-)

Your First Beach Trip

Dear Nolan,

On Saturday, June 7, 2008, you left for your first trip to the beach. Your Dad drove you and your Mom to Papa Jack and GiGi's house in Hickory. You pulled in our driveway around 8:30 a.m. I already had the car packed with my suitcase(s) plus towels, sheets, etc. It took us a few minutes to decide where we were going to put your things and your Mom's things! When traveling with a baby, you have to pack additional items like a pack-and-play, a bouncer, baby toys, a car seat, a diaper bag, and of course, diapers. Making it all fit is similar to assembling a puzzle. We did, finally, get all of the pieces to work, and we were ready to go. The only things left now were putting you in your car seat and exchanging our goodbyes. Unfortunately, Papa Jack and your Dad didn't get to go along. They both had to work. :-( After the last kiss and hug, we were off--next stop--your Great-Grandma Clark's house. I drove, and your Mom sat in the back seat with you.

Great-Grandma Clark lives in Chatham County in a little town called Pittsboro. It is about three hours away from Hickory. We made pretty good time--just two stops I think. We ate lunch with Great-Grandma, and then, while your Mom fed you, I tried to figure out where Great-Grandma's luggage would go!! Oh, I almost forgot--you got to meet your Great Uncle Eddie (my brother) and your 2nd cousin Kurt (my nephew). They live across the pasture from Great-Grandma. They let us borrow two beach umbrellas--and you guessed it--we had to get those beach umbrellas somewhere in the car. I didn't think it would happen, but with Great Uncle Ed's help, everything fit and the car trunk closed. We were finally ready to leave--next stop--Oak Island, NC. Ha, ha, ha, ha. . .

I drove, Great-Grandma sat up front with me, and your Mom sat beside you in the back. We headed toward Raleigh so we could take I-40 East all the way to Wilmington. Nolan, you were such a sweet little traveler. You slept much of the time, and when you were awake, your Mom had plenty of toys for the two of you to play with. You hardly fussed at all. Your Mom said that you hadn't had a bowel movement in several days, and I think she was a little worried about that. Well, guess what?? Not far out of Raleigh, you just decided to put an end to her worrying! We had to stop and change, not only your diaper, but your whole little outfit, plus clean up your car seat. You just lay there and smiled!!!! This little break made Great-Grandma Clark happy, because it gave her a chance to smoke her cigarettes. Great-Grandma gets a little grumpy sometimes when she doesn't get to smoke her cigarettes.

Okay, we were on the road again. I'm not sure what happened when we got to Wilmington. We were trying to get on US 17, and we finally did--but only after taking a wonderful tour of the university there. GiGi was so intent on looking at the road signs that she forgot to look at the road. Okay, we did have one little "close call," but not to worry. The brakes worked really well, and everyone had on seat belts. We didn't hit ANYTHING--we just had a little "whip lash," and I think your Mom may have gone into shock for a couple of minutes. She recovered quickly and let GiGi know how she felt about the whole thing. :-)

We finally started seeing signs for Southport and Oak Island. We got so excited! What should have been a three-hour jaunt (from Pittsboro to the beach) turned into a six-hour expedition!! Aunt Emily, Uncle Bradley, and Maggie (their dog) were already at the beach. They left about 6 a.m. and had been out on the beach for hours! They would call us and say, "Where ARE you?" We would reply, "We are TRYING to get there!!"

When we were about 10 minutes away, we called Aunt Emily and Uncle Bradley and asked them to meet us at Lowes Foods. Earlier in the week, I had ordered our groceries online. (That was the one smart thing I did.) We just needed to pay for them and load them in the car. We put all the groceries in Emily and Bradley's car and headed for our beach house!!

The beach house was right on the oceanfront. It belongs to one of Great-Grandma Clark's good friends--Barbara. It had four bedrooms, two baths, a living/dining room, a kitchen, and a utility room. It was just perfect for us. My favorite part was the covered porch. It had a swing and lots of rocking chairs for rocking my Nolan to sleep--which I did every single day we were there!!

Okay--let's talk about your first walk down to the ocean. Your Mom held you, and I video-taped the entire thing. Of course you LOVED being outside, but when your Mom bent down to dip those little toes in the water, you started to cry. Poor baby--the sound of the ocean, the waves crashing, the sand, the water coming at you like that--it just scared you to death! In your five months of life, the closest thing you had experienced to this was your little blue bathtub--and you weren't in love with that. This was nothing like your bathtub. Suffice it to say, that your first encounter with the ocean was not a positive one.

We were worried about exposing your sensitive skin to the sun. Your Mom would take you for early morning and late afternoon walks on the beach, but during the heat of the day, you would stay inside with GiGi and Great-Grandma Clark. My favorite part of our entire trip was spending time with you--especially rocking you to sleep out on the porch. I would hold you close and swing with you in the swing or rock with you in the rocking chairs. The sound of the waves and the constant ocean breeze just put you right off to sleep--almost like a lullabye. When you fell asleep, I just kept holding you and looking at you. I didn't want to put you down. I love you so much Nolan.

We all laughed about your hair. Every time we would go outside into that hot, humid, sticky weather, your hair would go from wavy to curly! Your head would be covered with little curls--it was precious!! Of course, your Mom had the cutest outfits ever for you to wear--especially the yellow one with the matching cap!! Priceless! People would stop to say how cute you were. :-)

We had dinner in Southport at a little restaurant right on the Cape Fear River called Fishy Fishy Cafe. It took us forever to be seated, but the atmosphere was wonderful, and the food was delicious. We will definitely go back! Southport is such a beautiful place. The streets are lined with big old homes that have been lovingly restored. There is a homemade ice cream shop and a pretty waterside park with benches. There are all kinds of little antique and gift shops. It's just the place to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon or take an early evening stroll after dinner. Emily and Bradley even took a carriage ride around the town one night.

Our days at the beach seemed to fly by. By the end of the week, you were used to the ocean. You didn't cry anymore when your Mom would dip your toes in the water. Actually, I think you were starting to like it. I bet one day you will be a regular "beach bum." Next summer, you will be 1 1/2 years old and walking! I can't wait to see those little legs running along the beach.

Your Dad missed you and your Mom so much. You should have seen the grin on his face when we pulled in our driveway on Thursday evening. :-) Your Mom missed your Dad too! This was the longest they had been apart from each other. They talked several times each day. Nolan, you are surrounded by people that love you and love each other. You are a lucky little boy.

I will write again soon.

Gigi :-)

Four Months Old!

Dear Nolan,

Just look at you. I can't believe how quickly time is passing. We are almost in June, and I haven't had a chance to talk with you about what happened during the month of May! Let's talk about Mother's Day. This year, Mother's Day was extra special, because YOUR Mom celebrated her very first Mother's Day, and GiGi celebrated her very first Mother's Day as a grandmother! Here are pictures of the card I received from you. It meant so much to me!

Your Mom loves you so much, Nolan. It is hard to describe the feeling that I get when I watch you and your Mom together. Everything she does for you is done with such thoughtfulness and tenderness. She calls you her "little man."

A few weeks ago she called me to say that you were laughing out loud! Her voice was filled with such excitement. She held the phone up so that I could hear, but (of course) you didn't cooperate. Nolan, you are growing up and changing so fast. You have learned to roll from back to tummy and from tummy to back. You have discovered your fingers and toes. You love bright colors, and you love to dance. You especially like to be outside. Your Mom and Dad like the outdoors too. They like to camp and look forward to taking you on camping trips with them.

I will write again soon. I want to tell you about your first trip to the beach.

I love you sweet one. Goodnight.

GiGi :-)

P.S. Here is a picture of your Great-Grandma Clark holding me in the hospital not long after I was born.

Papa Jack's Birthday Weekend

Dear Nolan,

Papa Jack's birthday is tomorrow. He will be 53 years old. To celebrate, we rented a cabin for the weekend in Ashe County, NC. It was outside of Jefferson off of Highway 88--not too far from your house. You, your Mom and Dad, Aunt Emily, and Uncle Bradley joined us. We had such a good time together.

The house had three levels. The top level had a sleeping loft, half bathroom, and a game table. Speaking of the game table, your Mom and Dad played a very exciting game of JENGA. They both played with great skill, but your Dad ended up winning. We enjoyed watching them play--they are both very competitive by nature. We had alot of laughs!!

The middle level had a kitchen, living room, bathroom, and bedroom. You and your Mom and Dad slept in this bedroom. Papa Jack and I brought the Pack-and-Play crib so that you could be right next to their bed. The kitchen was nice--we cooked out hamburgers Friday night and made tacos on Saturday night. YUM! Of course, Papa Jack had a birthday cake that we enjoyed all weekend! The sofas in the living room had recliners built in--so the guys (and girls) could just kick back and watch tv. This weekend was a BIG basketball weekend--The Final Four. We were hoping that Carolina would win and advance to the national championship game, but they got beat (pretty badly) by Kansas.

The lower level had two bedrooms and a bathroom. One of the bedrooms was really big--it even had a pool table in it. There were two decks. The upper deck had a gas grill, rocking chairs, and swing. There was a hot tub on the lower deck. Your Mom and Dad and Aunt Emily and Uncle Bradley enjoyed that!

Josh, Maggie, and Gracie were with us. Yes, we brought the dogs. It was a little challenging, but overall, not too bad. The cabin was next to Peak Creek. It was so nice to sit out on the porch with a cup of coffee and hear the sound of the water. The dogs LOVED the creek. As a matter of fact, Gracie would not urinate unless she was IN the creek!!

On Saturday, your Mom and Dad drove a few miles down the road to the New River State Park. They may canoe and camp there in a few weeks, and I get to stay with you! I can't wait!!!

We all had fun being with each other and being with YOU. In the mornings, you are especially happy. You just smile and gurgle and talk. WE LOVE YOU, NOLAN!!!!

I wish I could talk with you a little more, but GiGi must grade papers!

I love you sweet boy.

Gigi :-)

I love being with you!

Dear Nolan,

During my Easter break from school, I got to spend some time with you. I arrived at your house around 1:30 last Friday afternoon. Your Dad was at work, and your Mom wanted to run some errands. I enjoyed keeping you so much. We danced together as I sang a little "made up" song that I used to sing to your Mom and Aunt Emily when they were babies. We looked at some of your new books, and you sat in your bouncer and "talked" to me! You especially enjoyed checking out the bathroom mirror and the living room ceiling fan.

When your eyes started to get heavy, we moved to the rocking chair in your nursery. You looked up at me with those beautiful blue eyes, and I thanked God for you. I can't explain why the tears rolled down my cheeks. They must have been tears of joy. I know that being your GiGi is the most joyful experience I have ever known. It wasn't long before you fell asleep, and I put you in your crib for a nap. I stood over the crib and watched you sleep for a few minutes.

It's hard to believe that you have already outgrown your bassinet. Your Mom and Dad said it was hard to move you into your own room and put you in that big crib. They were used to having you sleep in their room. But your crib is so cool, and there is so much to see in your little nursery. It's like being on a safari! You have this neat little mobile that plays music while a zebra, a crocodile, a monkey, and an elephant twirl around under a fabric canopy above your head. You have five wall hangings that surround your crib with pictures of a turtle, a tropical bird, a monkey, a zebra, and an elephant. Your bumper pad, dust ruffle, and diaper stacker all have jungle animals on them, and there is a gorilla hanging down from one corner of your bed. Your room is just a fun place to be!! Your Mom took these pictures of your nursery (shown above) and sent them to me before you were born.

I will write more later. I'm going to bed now.

Goodnight sweet boy. I love you.

GiGi

Almost Eleven Weeks Old!

Dear Nolan,

Let me tell you about your first Easter. You and your Mom traveled to Greensboro with us to your (Great) Uncle Steve and (Great) Aunt Anne's house. Your Dad had to work, so he didn't get to come and we missed him so much!

Anne is Papa Jack's sister. She and Steve have two girls--Brooke and Elizabeth. They live in a big, beautiful home with lots of room to spread out and are always so nice to invite us for special holiday gatherings. Great-Grandma Wilson, Great-Papa Wilson, Aunt Emily, and Uncle Bradley were also there.

We missed your (Great) Uncle Mark and (Great) Aunt Diane. Mark is Papa Jack's brother. They weren't able to be with us this year, but they want to meet you! They live in Winston-Salem and have two children--Whitney and William. Whitney is a senior at UNC-Wilmington, and William is a rising senior in high school.

Nolan, we had so much food! Great-Grandma Wilson always brings: her famous sweet tea, honey-baked ham, green beans, corn, "red apples," rolls, brown sugar cake, and coconut cake. This Easter she also made a sweet potato casserole with marshmallows on top! Anne made deviled eggs and "Nan's potatoes." Nan was Aunt Diane and Uncle Steve's Mom. She was a sweet, sweet lady! I made a squash casserole, broccoli and rice casserole, fruit salad, and cold broccoli salad. We all gathered in the kitchen and bowed our heads as Great-Papa Wilson asked the blessing, and then we shared a wonderful Easter lunch together.

This Easter was extra special because this year we had YOU! We all took turns holding you, and Great-Grandma Wilson even rocked you to sleep. Papa Jack and I gave you 4 little books and an activity gym. You lay on the mat under your new "gym" and just gazed up at the shapes, colors, and sounds. It was so much fun to watch you.

It is wonderful to have a baby in the family again--it is wonderful to have YOU.

I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

Your Great-Great Grandmothers

Dear Nolan,

I love this picture! It was made on our wedding day with our sweet Grandmothers. Pictured from left to right: MaMa Clark, Mama Farrell, Me (GiGi), Papa Jack, Grandma Wilson, and Grandma Medlin.

Our Grandmothers were so special. We will never forget them or the lessons they taught us. I will write more about each of them later.

Speaking of Grandmothers, your Great-Grandma Clark has been sick this week. She has been in the hospital with double pneumonia. I went home to take care of her. She is doing much better now.

I will write again soon. I love you Nolan.

GiGi

You Favor Your Dad!

Dear Nolan,

I was going through some digital photographs tonight and found a baby picture of your Dad. He is on the top and you are on the bottom. This was one of the pictures Mimi sent to me to use in a slide show presentation at your parent's wedding rehearsal dinner. You really do favor your Dad so much! I wonder if you will have dimples like your Dad!

I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

Books!

Dear Nolan,

I can't wait to share books with you. There are so many books that I want us to read together. One of your Mom's favorite books was Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. It was her first book.

It begins, "In the great green room, there was a telephone, and a red balloon, and a picture of the cow jumping over the moon." That green room was such a peaceful place to be! I can't wait to go there with you.

I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

Wishes For My Grandchildren

Dear Nolan,

I guess that watching "The Ultimate Gift" started me thinking about something I read many years ago. I don't know who wrote this, but I think it is worth sharing with you.

We tried so hard to make things better for our kids that we made them worse. For my grandchildren, I'd like better.

I'd really like for them to know about hand-me-down clothes

and homemade ice cream and leftover meat loaf sandwiches.

I really would.

I hope you learn humility by being humiliated, and that

you learn honesty by being cheated.

I hope you learn to make your own bed and mow the

lawn and wash the car.

And I really hope nobody gives you a brand new car

when you are sixteen.

It will be good if at least one time you can see puppies

born and your old dog put to sleep.

I hope you get a black eye fighting for something you

believe in.

I hope you have to share a bedroom with your younger

brother.

And it's all right if you have to draw a line

down the middle of the room, but when he wants to

crawl under the covers with you because he's scared,

I hope you let him.

When you want to see a movie and your little brother

wants to tag along, I hope you'll let him.

I hope you have to walk uphill to school with your

friends and that you live in a town where you can do it

safely.

On rainy days when you have to catch a ride, I hope you

don't ask your driver to drop you two blocks away so

you won't be seen riding with someone as uncool as your Mom.

If you want a sling shot, I hope your Dad shows you how

to make one instead of buying one.

I hope you learn to dig in the dirt and read books.

When you learn to use computers, I hope you also learn

to add and subtract . . in your head.

I hope you get teased by your friends when you have your

first crush on a girl, and when you talk back to your

mother that you learn what ivory soap tastes like.

May you skin your knee climbing a mountain, burn your

hand on a stove, and stick your tongue on a frozen flagpole.

I don't care if you try a beer once, but I hope you

don't like it. And if a friend offers you dope or a

joint, I hope you realize he is not your friend.

I sure hope you make time to sit on a porch with your

Grandpa and go fishing with your Uncle.

May you feel sorrow at a funeral and joy during the holidays.

I hope your mother punishes you when you throw a

baseball through your neighbor's window and that

she hugs you and kisses you at Christmas time when

you give her a plaster mold of your hand.

These things I wish for you--tough times and

disappointment, hard work and happiness.

To me, it's the only way to appreciate life.

I love you, Nolan.

GiGi

The Ultimate Gift

Dear Nolan,

I watched a movie with Great-Grandma Clark this weekend. It was one of the most beautiful films that I have ever seen. It was called, "The Ultimate Gift."

It was about an extremely wealthy man who wanted to leave more than his money to his very spoiled grandson. Jason, the grandson, had always lived a life of luxury. He had never worked a day in his life, and he didn't know how to appreciate anything. In order to get his inheritance, he had certain assignments that he had to complete. Through these assignments, he was taught the value of hard work, friendship, loyalty, forgiveness, and love. He learned that money is not everything and that it certainly does not buy happiness. I hope we can watch this movie together one day!

I kept you on Friday night so that your Mom and Dad could spend some time with their friends. After a hectic week at school, being able to hold you in my arms was the most amazing stress reliever ever. As you took your bottle, you would look up at me with those bright eyes and wrap your tiny fist around my little finger. Wow--all the worries of the world just floated out of my mind!

You are starting to "coo" now, and you make the sweetest little sounds. I look forward to those sounds becoming words! I wonder what your first words will be.

I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

Mimi's Birthday Party!

Dear Nolan,

Last weekend, you visited Mimi and Papa Reif to help celebrate Mimi's 60th birthday. You got to meet so many new people. Some of them were family, and some of them were friends of Mimi and Papa. I heard that you were such a good boy, and I can tell by the pictures that your Mom and Mimi sent that everyone had a good time. I am going to post some of the pictures.

I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

The Best Valentine

Dear Nolan,

Papa Jack and I enjoyed staying with you on Thursday evening. It was the first time that your Mom and Dad had been out together for an evening alone since you were born. It was Valentine's Day, and they went out for a nice dinner while Papa Jack and I kept you!

We enjoyed taking care of you so much. I love your nursery with all of the jungle animals. Your Mom and Dad picked out the "Zanzibar" theme for your room. It is decorated with elephants, giraffes, alligators, monkeys, zebras, turtles, and tropical birds. There are stuffed animals peeking out everywhere, and I saw toys for us to play with and books for us to read. There is a sign on your door that says, "Nolan's Room," and there are wall hangings, a wooden shelf, and a wall clock. There is also a rocking chair. It is the same rocking chair I rocked your Mom to sleep in. Beside the rocking chair, there is a small end table with a little lamp on it. The base of the lamp has a blue elephant, a tall giraffe, a zebra, a turtle, and a friendly-looking alligator on it. I believe there is even a monkey trying to crawl up toward the lamp shade. At night, it gives off a soft glow of light that would put any tired Mom or Dad to sleep!!

We looked at "The Wheels on the Bus" book. I tried to sing the song, "The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round, Round and Round, etc." I think that you liked the book better than the song! We put you in your crib and watched as you stared at the animals spinning around on your mobile. At four weeks old, you are so alert!

Thank you for the best Valentine's Day ever. I love you sweet boy.

GiGi

Four Weeks Old Today!

Dear Nolan,

The last four weeks have flown by. I can't believe that you are a month old. I got to see you yesterday. We had such a good time. Papa Jack and I met you and your Mom and Dad at Shoppes on the Parkway in Blowing Rock. We did some shopping. Banana Republic had some great sales. I got your Mom a couple of things. Nolan, she is just amazing! It's been four weeks, and you can't even tell that your Mom has had a baby. She is a size 4 and wearing her pre-pregnancy clothes again. That makes her very happy!

You were such a good boy while we shopped. You were in your little Baby Bjorn carrier. Your Dad walked around with you all afternoon and you (dressed in your fuzzy, brown bear outfit) just snuggled up close to him and slept. When people would comment about your bear outfit, your Dad would say, "I have one just like it!" Isn't your Dad silly??

We drove into Boone and went in Mast General Store. Your Mom and Dad picked out a pretty birthday gift for Mimi. Her birthday is this weekend, and you will get to see her. I know she and Papa Reif can't wait to see you again!

Oh Nolan, you got to meet your cousin, Keely, this weekend. Keely was born just a few days before you to Uncle Michael and Aunt Kimille. Keely has three older sisters: Mikala, Zoe, and Ella. They were excited to meet you too! I know that you and Keely will enjoy growing up together, and I'm sure that you and all of your cousins will make wonderful memories together.

You had your first trip to Coyote Kitchen yesterday. It is a little restaurant in Boone--delicious food. Your Aunt Emily and "Uncle" Bradley met us there. They couldn't believe how you had grown and changed since they had seen you last. You woke up when we got inside the restaurant, and I got to hold you! Yeah!!!!

This Thursday is Valentine's Day, and your Mom and Dad have a "date." I am going to keep you while they go out for dinner. It will be the first time they have been out for dinner (alone) since you were born. Your Mom even got a special dress to wear. I've got to get busy and buy some Valentine's Day cards. This year, I have a grandson to buy for! You have touched my life, my heart, in so many ways. I love you sweet boy.

Sleep tight.

GiGi

Three Weeks Old Today!

Dear Nolan,

Happy Birthday sweet boy. It has been a week since I've written to you. It's been busy around here! My Mother (your Great-Grandma Clark) visited with me last week, and your Mom brought you down to meet her! Great-Grandma Clark said that you were one of the prettiest babies she had ever seen. She enjoyed holding you so much. She made a big pot of Chicken 'n Dumplins, and she also baked a pound cake (two of your Mom's favorite things to eat).

You also got to meet your Great-Grandma and Papa Wilson (Papa Jack's parents) this week. Papa Jack took them to meet you. They were so happy to finally get to see you! Great-Grandma Wilson said that you were cute as a button! She also talked about how much hair you had, and she said that you looked like your Dad. It was the first time they had seen your home, and they just loved YOUR room with all of the jungle animals!!

One of your Mom's best friends, Courtney, also got to meet you this week. She lives in California, but was home for a few days and stopped by to see you while she was here.

You have been a very popular little man since you arrived. We are all so proud of you, Nolan.

Sleep tight. . .I love you sweet boy.

GiGi