On Cloud Nine

Well, my dear Lucas, you are now Nine months old.  So much has happened this past month and I just can't believe all the accomplishments.

Finally had another check up (no shots this time - Yay!) and here are your numbers.

Weight: 18lb 5oz (28%)

Length/Height: 28.5" (56.5%)

Head: 45cm (50%)

These are all slight improvements since our last unofficial measurements.  Our doctor thinks Lucas is doing really well!

And now a word from the boy himself.  :)

Milestones

This month we celebrated the Fourth of July!  A few days before we went to Mama's friends' house where they had a cookout and fireworks.  Boy were those loud.  On the actual Fourth we had Dada'd family over to our house and cooked out some too.  And we went swimming!

And on the Fifth of July my two toothies finally cut through.

Then Mama and Dada went away for the weekend to celebrate their anniversary and I got to spend the weekend with Nana and Grandpa.  I sure gave them a run for their money.  As active as I have become just this past month I don't think they were ready for me.  Hehe.

Not much longer and I really started pulling myself up on everything.

We also went on my second trip to Florida.  {My first trip was when I was only four weeks old to visit my Great-Grandma at Thanksgiving time.}  We went this time to go to a wedding for Dada's cousin.  We stayed in a great big house where I got to swim every day.  And they also had stairs for me to climb!

And then most recently, this past weekend, we went to my first circle track race.  We went to Orange County Speedway to watch the stock cars race.  Boy it sure is louder than Dada's drag races.

So much more growing to do!!

A Crazy Lazy Weekend

Sounds like an oxymoron, eh?  Yeah well, we did a good bit this weekend and somehow it was still a quiet and restful weekend.  With A LOT of naps.  Fat Mum Slim's photo a day challenge for Sunday was "The Best Bit of your Weekend" and I really meant it with my photo - Naptimes were wonderful.

Oh, and if you aren't already doing a photo a day challenge but are interested I recommend doing Fat Mum Slim's.  It gives you an excuse to takes pictures of something other than your baby.  Yeah, try something outside the box every so often, like, maybe even a door...

IG photo of Naptime

Anywho.  Our weekend started Saturday morning with Hubby cleaning out the garage.  That consisted of him taking everything out of the garage and putting it out on our driveway {making it look like we were having a garage sale}.  I don't think he had anyone coming to check though.  Although we would have freely given some stuff away. 

Hubby broke down more boxes {majority being for Huggies diapers or wipes because we get them by the case at Costco}.  And we had intended on going through all the bins of miscellaneous stuff and clothing to re-consolidate them -- packing some up for donation, etc.  Fortunately we don't have too many more of those bins to go through but I'll have to do that this upcoming weekend instead.

Then Hubby made a trip to the dump to dispose of the cardboard to clear out room and then reorganized everything to put it back into the garage.  The fun began after Hubby found something new in the garage.  A big box with a picture of a new grill on it.  :)  Yep, as a partial Father's Day gift plus "Just because it's Summer", Lucas and I got Daddy a new grill. 

We've been talking about getting one every summer for a few years now.  Some times we want a gas grill and some times charcoal.  So I decided on the best of both and got a new Char-Griller 5050 Duo Gas-and-Charcoal Grill.  But Hubby put off working on the grill for now.  We had other stuff to do.

After cleaning up the garage we went out to our local mall to eat some lunch at the food court.  I wanted to also go because Curious George was visiting for a few hours that day.  Alas the lines were really long to even get a picture with him.  And Lucas is still too young to even know who he is or read his books.  So we opted for no picture.  :(  But yummy food!

Back at home that afternoon the mail had come and with it we got our first Wittlebee box!  More on that another time.  Because we were just too tired to get excited about it at the time. 

So then it was time for the first of many naps - the nap of all naps.  We puppy-piled it on our bed and the three of us took nearly a two hour nap.  Re-fresh-ing!

Then we headed out to a nearby track to watch some drag racing.  Spectators only!  It was a small field of cars so it wasn't too late of a night.  I do think however that the Junior Dragster class is just as big as the main events.  {Some people have some mucho dinero in this area.}



Daddy's on my Pit Crew

Lucas got to wear his ear muffs again.  He did good for the most part but he did try to remove them a few times.  And we brought him wearing this cool "Pit Crew" shirt but quickly changed him into a romper since it was ridiculously hot.

Hubby brought the camera with us to the track {he actually forgot it and we had to make a trip back to the house to get it} expecting me to take my usual photos.  I just wasn't feeling it this time.  I mainly took some photos with my phone.  I didn't take the Canon out until the sun started setting and then it was the skyline I was taking photos of, not the cars.

Phone/IG shot

Phone/IG shot

Tailgating!

Next thing we know it's Sunday morning.  Time to dig into that grill box.

"Daddy's Little Helper" and I started out in the garage right alongside Hubby after he had unpacked the box.  At least I was able to help get the base of the grill assembled with him before Lucas started fussing about.  So it was time for us to go back inside the house and try to put Lucas down for a nap.  He didn't want to go in his crib so I could go back out and help Hubby.  {Oh no he didn't!}  So I ended up having to lay down on the couch with him and he finally went to sleep.  Oh darn, I have to take a nap with him?!  Sucks to be me... ;)

And yes, some guys actually DO look at the instructions when assembling.
Doesn't my Turtle look like a little turtle clenched to the stroller?  :)

About an hour or so later Hubby finally came back in the house after completing the grill!  We had decided to heat up the grill {charcoal side} to let it cure and then afterward while it was still hot we could get some dinner out of it.  So Hubby went off to the store to gather the essentials {uh, charcoal} so we could get that started.

Daddy has to show Lucas how it works.

Our first meal on the new grill?  Hamburgers and veggies {eggplant, green pepper and onion} and baked beans.  Sorry, no photos...we ate 'em up too fast.

But now we're ready for our Father's Day cookout this upcoming Sunday when my parents are coming to visit.  :)  Ma, you can bring the Pasta Salad!!

A Day at the Track {and a quick tutorial}

Now that you've seen all about Lucas' first race experience here is more about Hubby's day at the track and how he and the car did.

Here's a snapshot of his stats for the night.  I'll try my best to explain...

First, the race car is in the "foot brake" class, meaning it doesn't have any fancy electronics to help you race.  You have to actually hit the gas and go at the right time, like a normal street car.  And this particular track, New Bern Motorsports, runs an Eighth Mile as opposed to a Quarter Mile.  So it's a shorter length.

The first two rounds, T1 and T2, are time runs {practice} and the third, DFC, is a Dash-for-Cash race.  It's just a separate race within the race where all classes can run against each other - the closest to their Dial-in wins {as opposed to the fastest}.  You see, that's what bracket racing is really about.  Not being the fastest per se, but rather predicting what time your car will run {the Dial-in} and running as close to that number as possible without going faster {that would be called Breaking Out}.

In the Stats above you will also see some color coding.  In red are some negative reaction times.  Reaction time is measured when the lights {affectionately called a Christmas tree in drag racing} count down from yellow and turn green, which is the point at which the car then hits the gas and drives down the track.  So a perfect reaction time would be 0.000.  So you want to get as close to a perfect reaction time as possible.  The higher the number the slower you are at reacting to the tree.  Now above you see that Hubby has two reaction times in red.  This is because he was too quick in reacting and left before the light turned green {called Red-lighting}.  This is an automatic loss, like shown in the 2nd round.

Another color you will see in the Stats is blue, which is the Breaking Out I mentioned above.  You see this in the ET column {Elapsed Time} which is the time actually ran down the track.  The blue times shows that Hubby went faster than his Dial-in.  This is also an automatic loss - unless of course both cars break out {a double break out it's called}, then the car closest to its dial-in would win.  The car that broke out the worst would lose.

Now with all that explained here's basically how his day went, rather short actually.

T1: Hubby said his tires spun when he first launched {the track was too slick}.  And he red-lighted.  Good thing it was just a practice.

T2: A better practice run and his ET was really close to his other time run.

DFC: First race where you would Dial-in predicting what time you think you'll race.  Hubby broke out by four thousandths {very very little} but it's a loss.  **I got to stage him during this round/race.

Note that later in the day when the sun goes down the air tends to get cooler.  In racing when the air gets cooler it allows the cars to run faster.  So you tend to see the drivers gradually change their dial-in times appropriately as they plan for the car to go faster.

Now for the races to begin.

1st: Hubby had a good reaction time but the previous car that ran down the track didn't do a good enough burn out and ended up bringing some water down the track with him.  {I'll show you some examples of burn outs further below.}  So that left the track a bit slick and he didn't run too close to his dial-in, but even with that he still managed to win - the other car red-lighted.

2nd: This time Hubby red-lighted.  You know this as soon as it happens so even though you automatically lose you then treat this as a time run.  He still ran it out trying to get the best time he could.

At some tracks, like NBMS, they allow "buy backs" where for additional money, if you lose you can buy back into the race.  Now each track is different with how they handle this.  Usually they only allow it for first or second rounds, allowing you to buy back only one of the two rounds or sometimes you can buy back for both.  So Hubby bought back after 2nd round to keep going.

3rd: Hubby had an okay reaction time but he and the other car were really close at the end of the track.  He ended up "patting" to slow down - he "lifted" off the gas to slow down just a bit as opposed to hitting his brakes to slow down a lot.  {You can also tell how much he slowed down based on his MPH.} 

     He did this because he was reaching the finish line well ahead of the other car, and with bracket racing you should arrive at the same time based on your dial-ins.  So Hubby knew he was either going to break out or the other car was just going too slow.  As a result, even with his "patting", he did get down there too quickly and he broke out.  The other car didn't so Hubby lost, ending his night early.

There weren't too many cars in the race to begin with because it's a holiday weekend and everyone is at the beach, so there weren't too many more rounds to finish.  But now on to the fun stuff!  Pictures of Hubby racing his dad's car.

Just a day at the track.

Racer Boy {in training}

This Saturday we took Lucas to his first race. 

We went to Hubby's old stomping grounds at New Bern Motorsports Park where he bracket raced his Dad's Camaro Z28 in the Modified "Foot-brake" class.  Hubby's own Z28 is still out of commission while refreshing the transmission and motor.  He usually runs his car {nicknamed "Chrissy" - short for "Crystal Blue Persuasion"} in the Top Eliminator "Box" class.

Crissy at our Wisconsin home

Hubby is the 2010 Champion at New Bern for both classes.  That year we actually lived in town and Hubby and his Dad were able to go regulary enough to join the points series.  They raced his car in the Top class and his Dad's in the Modified class.  And as I said, Hubby won both classes that year.  That's two trophies he took home!

Here's a quick set of photos back from when we were engaged.  My MIL took a photo of me in Curtis' race car so that they could blow up the picture and make the poster in the second photo for our 50's Sock Hop themed rehearsal dinner.  The joke is that once we were married the race car is now also mine.  :)  {And no, you don't get to see my poodle skirt.}

Now, in preparation for Lucas' first trip to the race track I had to make a few Amazon purchases...

First of all, it's super loud, because it's a race track.  All those cars suped up to try to impress everyone!  So I got these Baby Banz Hearing Protector Earmuffs - in blue of course.  And with Summer beginning I also picked out some Baby Banz Sunglasses in black. 

The ear muffs worked out great.  He rarely pulled at them and was even able to fall asleep wearing them.  Now the sunglasses he didn't care for at all.  We tried them first at the festival earlier that day and he just pulled them right off.  The sun wasn't too bad so we just left them off at the track.  His hearing was most important.

First things first.  Lucas had to get a tutorial on the race car with Daddy.

Hubby had to get suited up in his race jacket and shoes so he could get some time runs in.  Good luck Daddy!  Time to sit in his very own race chair for the track {his mini version of our folded chairs}.

Then, of course, Granddaddy had to take Lucas around to see some of the other race cars, like this orange one belonging to our old neighbor, Larry.  And he had to get a quick lesson about charging up the car.  Checked out the track real quick...  And then before first round even started he was out...needed a nap with Grammy.

And to end Lucas' first racing experience.  Here are a few Instragram favorites of mine from the weekend!

Alphabet Scramble: H is for...

This week's Alphabet Scramble is brought to you by the letter H!

Hat - You gotta keep that little head covered! Lucas' very first knitted hat was given to us by our Nurse at the hospital. She was the first nurse I had when I arrived for my induction at the hospital. So she was there all day with me until about 7pm. I had another nurse the rest of the night until I delivered just before 5am. But at 7am she was back to meet Lucas and get me settled into our Mother/Baby room. Before we left the hospital she gave us a baby blue knitted hat that she said her mother had made. She likes to make several of them and pass them out to the babies. It's a lot more special than the generic hospital hat that we were also given.

Hammock - This is the affectionate name we have given Lucas' Fisher Price Newborn Rock and Play Sleeper. We love this thing and use it every day. We used it for the first few weeks after he was born so he could sleep right next to me. It's so portable that we just moved it back and forth between the bedroom and the living room. And we've taken it with us on trips, which is a spacesaver compared to pack 'n plays. Now it just stays in the living room, and in the mornings we put him in it and set it in front of the television so he can watch music videos or sports. And on nights he doesn't feel very well we will put him in it to sleep so he'll be inclined.

High chair - We just invested in a Spacesaver high chair that grows as your child does and it takes up less space since it just fits on one of your existing chairs. I also picked up awhile ago a portable one that looks just like the fold up chairs we use at the race track. That will be his very own racing seat.

Hungry - I've posted this video of Lucas before. This is his I'm-Hungry-Cry. :)

License to Drive

Hubby is into cars. 

No, wait.  That's an understatement. 

Hubby is a race car driver. 

More specifically drag racing. 

He's even a champion some years.



This is Chrissy, Hubby's race car.



CPD Winner's Circle

So needless to say when we found out we were having a baby boy he and his family instantly began thinking about his racing future.  We've gotten so many outfits with cars on them; they even managed to find one with a "Christmas tree" on it...that's actually nonmenclature for the staging lights at a dragstrip.  I even found a nifty picture to show it!

Not only are my in-laws into racing but some of our college friends as well.  You see I met hubby in college thanks to some mutual friends.  One of which lived in my dorm down the hall and was also a groupie for our college Race Team.  (Ooh, if she reads this she will hurt me for calling her that!)  And Hubby was on the Race Team.

Many years later we are all still great friends and again, when we found out we were having a baby boy I just knew our friends would love the opportunity to get him racing-related stuff.  Of course, two our my girlfriends went so far as to host a baby shower for us!  And the theme was cars.  HOT WHEELS!  My Mom even had a friend who made us race car cupcakes.  :)



Now you know what I'm up against.  Needless to say I opted not to go all car-crazy in his nursery.  They are all just itching for the age when he's old enough to get his own junior dragster.  I say, let's not rush into things.  He's still my little boy.  And we have at least sixteen years before he'll even have his license to drive.