@Vermont

Wordless Wednesday: ICE!

ashleymandi — Wed, 11 Jan 2012 06:13:08 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: Andy’s First Christmas

ashleymandi — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 10:48:36 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: Lumberjack

ashleymandi — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:20:01 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: Christmas Card Photo Shoot

ashleymandi — Wed, 14 Dec 2011 10:00:53 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: A baby, a duck and a cat

ashleymandi — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 14:17:24 +0000

Wordless Wednesday: A Turkey and a Tooth

ashleymandi — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:00:49 +0000

Birth of Anderson James Titus: A Short Video

ashleymandi — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 02:29:13 +0000

This weekend, I finally got a chance to sit down at the computer and catch up on some things like reading blogs, reading emails, and making this short video (that I have been meaning to make for three months) of pictures from Andy’s birth:

Birth of Anderson James Titus

Enjoy and Happy Monday!

Family Friday (a little early): Turkey Day 2011

ashleymandi — Fri, 25 Nov 2011 00:56:13 +0000

One year ago today Ashley convinced (and by convinced, I mean begged) me to take a pregnancy test despite that it had only been 11 days since trying. Eleven days is usually not long enough to tell if pregnancy has set in and even if you get a positive reading, it doesn’t always mean that it will stick. But, after much begging and knowing that the begging would go on all through Thanksgiving Day, I gave in and took the test. You probably know where this story is going but here is the longer version…

I remember waking up Thanksgiving morning and Ashley begging me to take the test until I gave in. I got up and took it. It was still a little bit dark so I looked at it and said “I don’t think there is anything there” and I tossed it in the trash. Later we were hanging out in office and I went back into the bathroom and I don’t know what made me do it but I picked the discarded pregnancy test from the trash to look at it and noticed in the now-light-out brightness that there was the faintest of lines there. Now by faintest of lines, I mean that it was so faint that I wasn’t sure there was even a line that I was seeing or if I was seeing the absence of a line. So, I brought the test with me to the office where Ashley was and brought this to her attention. Of course we went back and forward for like an hour about whether it was anything of a line or not. We finally decided to call in help with this situation so we dialed up our lifeline, Morgane (that is right, Morgane was the first person to know). I remember clearly explaining the situation and getting this response, “Go to the store, take another test, and call me back.” So that is what we did. The second test had a faint line, not quite as faint as the first. Still not convinced, I took a third test(lol). It was one of those ‘heart-breaker’ pregnancy tests where it says the word “Pregnant” or words “Not Pregnant” after the time is up. When the word “Pregnant” popped up, I remember being in total disbelief.

The three tests that I took last Thanksgiving

We spent the rest of the day all giddy and making secret jokes about it being Turkey Day. So much has happened and so much has changed (in a good way) since that day one year ago… Our little turkey did arrive and is now three and a half months old! We spent our Turkey Day this year with family and friends and had a great time.

Jokes when no one was looking...

One year later

Fun with Papatumba

Go Team! I don't know which team but yay for football!

Turkey makes me sleepy...

Wordless Wednesday: Andy’s First Parade (and a bonus shot)

ashleymandi — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 12:54:54 +0000

Family Friday: Darien, GA and Sapelo Island

ashleymandi — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 10:00:18 +0000

This past week we took a trip to Darien, GA and Sapelo Island. It was Papa-Utumba’s (Grandpa Titus’) birthday and we all went on a little trip to explore some Titus lineage history.

Getting ready to board the ferry to Sapelo.

Evidently, a few generations back, Francis Hopkins leased some land on Sapelo Island for a few years until a hurricane came through and wiped out the area. He then hightailed it off the island but for that short time the Titus ancestor lived at a place that was known as Chocolate Plantation (they actually grew cotton, corn and sugar cane).

At Chocolate's location on the island.

Anyhow, we spent the day on the island with our tour guide, Fran. She is a descendent of one of the slave families that worked on Sapelo Island back then. She showed us around the private areas as most of the island is owned and protected by the state of Georgia but there are areas that are still privately owned. Fran took us in her white van down mostly dirt roads (some of which were very bumpy) and we saw Chocolate Plantation, Hog Hammock, the lighthouse, the Reynold’s Mansion (which is now a Georgia State Park), The University of Georgia Research Facility, Nannygoat Beach, and more.

Picnic lunch at the beach.

We stayed at a B&B in Darien called Open Gates. We ate at a lot of local restaurants that mostly served seafood. The day that we drove back, we took the very scenic route down A1A. We took a ferry in Jacksonville for fun and then ate at Cap’s, a seafood place in St. Augustine.

At the bed and breakfast

On the ferry in Jacksonville

We had a great time and Andy was such a good little guy in the car and the whole trip.

Taking a break from driving at the Georgia welcome center.

Hanging out on the 30 minute ferry ride to Sapelo.

Testing out the highchair at the bed and breakfast.