Bacot's go to the Bahamas

The plane trips seemed long, but we were grateful to arrive at the beautiful Westin Our Lucaya resort on Grand Bahama Island. Brady was ready to have some tummy time on the bed.

On the first morning, it was a little cool and cloudy. Taylor and I love being the first ones on the beach in the morning. There's something so beautiful and powerful about seeing a secluded beach at sunrise. Brady looked so cute.

When the afternoon warmed up a bit, we took Brady back out to the beach. We discovered he really prefers pool water over the salt water. He splashed a lot in the salt water and kept smacking his mouth until I gave him a bottle.

Taylor had meetings all day on Tuesday, so Brady and I laid on a little grassy knoll surrounded by the serpentine pool. We only spent about an hour out there, but it was nice to lounge around.

The island and hotel were great, but our room was REALLY fabulous. We were one of the very few corner rooms to have beach front and a marina front corner patio. It's also a good vantage point to view the hotel and the pool.

When we arrived to the hotel, the infinity edge pool in front of our building didn't look exactly like it did in the pictures. One morning we walked to the far end of the property and found this pool. It's much more secluded and absolutely beautiful.

Brady hasn't fallen asleep in my arms much since I went back to work. While we were on vacation, I was pretty tickled that we got to have a lot of cuddly naps.

We had dinner at Luciano's one night. It was located in the Port Lucaya market place, right on the marina.

Brady kept crawling under the desk to play with all the electrical wires. To keep him away from live power, we gave him a few unplugged cords to play with. He loved it.

Agave became our little group's favorite restaurant. They served modern latin cuisine with an island flare. Brady mostly liked chewing on the granola bar, while still in it's wrapper.

Nana, My Nana

Today my Nana went to be with Jesus.

She's been sick for quite some time, but it's still hard to believe that she's really gone. Nana's always been the center of our big happy family. As a little girl, I remember my mom and I sitting on the phone for hours at a time with Nana, Julie and Becky on the line. Visits to Nana's house were always magical and fun; she definitely spoiled us. When Nana and Papa moved to Houston, I have fond memories of ER, pizza and card playing. As I grew older, I feel like she was always unconditionally loving even when I was somewhat of a problem child.

On our wedding day, Taylor's nerves were really shaken. He vividly remembers walking Nana down the aisle. She patted his arm and smiled, and that's when he knew everything would be okay. Nana's meant so much to me, it's hard for me to recall all the specifics. I do know that she brought warmth and love to all of us.

Nana, my Nana from Sikeston Missouri
She's as gentle and pure
As a calm, midnight flurry

Her compassionate soul
And warm, caring smile
She expresses in her own very beautiful style

Her heart is as rich
As McLean County soil
With love for her grandkids
Which are most definitely spoiled

Nana, my Nana is humble and kind,
Faithful and patient
Even funny at times

Nana, my Nana knows who she is;
United with God since she was a kid
Examining her heart reveals more than a mirror
For the Almighty God is her only fear

She has the key to life
So the good Book states;
The elimination of strife;
The hope of great fate.

Maybe this is why
Nana, my Nana's so radiant and clear;
So dear to my heart,
So Loving and near.

Lord Jesus, I thank you for the Nana who's mine;
Your growing wisdom within her led to you grace divine.

Thank you for creating and placing this rare flower
In my garden of life; for it shows your true power.

Stephen McClintick
December 25, 2001

Nana, Stephen and Julie

A very different Easter

This picture was taken on Easter day in 2004. It's my favorite picture of Nana and I; I've had it in a frame for years. I've always been particularly sentimental about my Nana. As a little girl, I always treasured the stuffed animals that Nana would give me. On my wedding day, I wore the pearl she gave me in Hawaii when I was five.

My beloved Nana has been in ICU for the past week with a fatal brain virus and congestive heart failure. She has very few moments of lucidity. On Saturday, my mom went to visit her and heard her praying that she would be able to tell her family how much she loves them. I spent the next 24 hours praying that I would have an opportunity to say goodbye. This Easter Sunday, I was blessed with a brief moment where she was awake, recognized me and asked how Brady was and we got to exchange our "I love yous".

Times like these give us a different perspective on Easter and the loving sacrifice that Christ made for us. I'm also appreciative of the loving family that Nana's given to us.

We had Easter brunch at Nana and Papa's house before going to the hospital. Here's a picture of Papa, Luke, Brady and Brianna.


When we sat the baby boys next to one another, Brady did his growling laugh and started to pull at Luke's shirt. This manly bonding didn't exactly make for the best picture, but I had to include it because it made us laugh.

Gorilla swinging at Century Oaks

My parents bought about 5 acres in a neighborhood called Century Oaks, in Hockley, Texas. Taylor and I went out a few weekends ago, where we decided the property needed a picnic table and a baby swing. After Grammy Pammy's research, she bought this Gorilla swing. As the pictures prove, Brady loved it.

Most kids like sweets

With the exception of breastmilk and formula, I taste everything Brady eats. I know that he prefers savory foods over sweet, but every one can appreciate whipped cream. Maybe it's an acquired taste for some...

R&R at Post Oak Park

We took Brady to the doctor on Monday and found he had 2 ear infections and fluid in his lungs. The doctor put him on anti-biotics, prednisone and albueteral nebulizer treatments. I stayed home with Brady on Tuesday. He was a little fussy, so we plopped him in the stroller and walked to the nearby park. Brady loves being outside, and I was happy to see him content and relaxed.

The Best Part of Waking Up

This is what we get to wake up to... I love it!

Bye Bye Infant Car Seat

Nothing in my life tends to stay the same for long and I'm generally rather unattached to the small things. When Taylor and I got married, I thought it was odd that the hardest thing to let go was my relationship with Wells Fargo and State Farm. Now as I venture into motherhood, I was unexpectedly sad to see my little infant grow out of his infant carrier and into a toddler car seat. It's hard to see your baby grow up. In the meantime, I'll try to cherish every moment and take lots of pictures and videos.

While Mommy is Away

Since Mommy has to work today (Good Friday) we thought we would add a posting. So as you all know Brady has been mobile for a couple weeks now but he usually only gets motivated to go play with Daisy's crate and water bowl. They make fun sounds : )

We're Back!

I've been suffering from blog neglect again. We've been in between internet providers for the past few weeks. It's a long and painful story, but the good news is that we're back in action. These photos were taken 2 - 3 weeks ago. It's hard to convince all three of them that the tennis balls are for the dogs and the nerf balls are for Brady.