charlotte | for dad's birthday.

this trip to charlotte felt more laid back, but we also did more activities than usual. i don't know how that works out. maybe because our activities involved outlet shopping and there's really nothing better than a little retail therapy, even if it involves a lot of walking. new shoes solve 90% of all problems.

it was also my dad's birthday on friday, which we celebrated on saturday because i wasn't able to get out of work early enough to get there for birthday dinner on friday night. plus there was a gun and knife show on saturday, and that was a good birthday celebration day activity. (with the guys. because, i may have mentioned it, but there was outlet shopping to be done.)

// a little blurry on the left, but the dad + luca + drum set dynamic is the cutest. luca LOVES music and will stop and dance whenever he hears it. the cutest!

// two of my mom's sisters were visiting from florida that weekend too.

// photos taken with the fountain not in the background because those resulted in a lot of shots of the back of luca's head.

look at the water though, you guys.

// 

T and i decided that we could technically be classified as "outdoor" people, as long as the outdoors involve outlet shops. and not, you know, nature.

// that game where he held the water bottle out and i pretended to sip some water. making funny noises with your mouth is

so

 funny and making him laugh is my favorite pastime. so, funny noises it is!

side note: there is a current state of obsession with water bottles. he loves drinking water, but he likes having something to hold and squeezing the bottle makes a cool noise. it's also fun to throw on the floor.

// in the toy store. luca was LOVING those masks.

// this night shirt! this is my life though. minus the sleeping in part. (or, including the sleeping in part, because i know mom's consider 8am "sleeping in.")

// always relaxed.

// new watch for his birthday! you can tell he's genuinely excited because not only did he allow me to take photos (with his arm in that semi-awkward position so i could get the watch + his face), he gave that expression with little to no prompting. win!

// T and J took a quick nap on the pillow dad's watch came on.

// pool time! the adults all stood around him in his baby pool, watching him splash around and taking pictures. because a small child sitting in a pool of water is the most entertaining. (but, it really is though.)

// we had lunch at smash burger on sunday and writing about it now is making my mouth water for that grilled chicken avocado club sandwich and that chocolate oreo milkshake.

anyway, here is luca having some of mama's chocolate milkshake. it took him a while (forever) to warm up to food, and sweets, in general but now he willingly eats a lot of different things. and gets super stoked about chocolate milkshakes.