Baby Seal's First Astros Game

Last September, I attended an Astros game with my family like we've done a couple of times a year for as long as I can remember. This game in particular was different, though - I knew I was pregnant and so did my family. Despite not yet knowing the gender, I purchased a onesie, a set of bibs, and a couple of pacifiers for baby Seal, and said he/she would wear them to a game the following season. Well, HE had the opportunity to do just that this past Sunday!

A little backstory in case you're new here - I found out I was pregnant after attending the Baseball Hall of Fame Induction Weekend in summer of 2015. We were there to celebrate our favorite Astro (Craig Biggio) and his induction ceremony. My family and I have also been life long Astros fans. In April of 2016, Brayden was born during the opening week of baseball and was actually born on the Astros first game of the season vs the Yankees. That was April 5, he was born at 5 p.m., and the Astros won 5-3. No way that's a coincidence, just sayin! :)

Needless to say, I was way incredibly excited for the opportunity to bring my little guy to his first Astros game this past weekend!

Isn't his outfit just the best? See that onesie? Yep! It's the one I purchased last season at the game and my dad bought the hat for him!

Brayden says blankets taste yummy in case you were wondering...

See his shoes? Those were an amazing find at a local consignment store called Once Upon a Child. They are Sperry's and when I saw them, I knew I had to have them.

We have two pre-game traditions - take a photo with Biggio/Orbit and find Mickey! 

I tried to show Mickey to him but in all the commotion of people walking around, and the line to take a picture with Mickey, it didn't happen.

At first, I was worried the crowds and noise would bother Brayden because he started to cry a little - I think he was mostly overwhelmed by everything going on around him. Thankfully, our tickets were in the Mazda Club Level and we didn't have to worry as much about the crowds. I knew this going in as I've sat in this area in the past and I can definitely say it was perfect with a baby! The alcove behind the seats is enclosed and it's a bit quieter with less people which worked perfectly for us. When we go with Brayden again, we are going to sit here for sure. 

I have to tell you that we had a BALL at the game (no pun intended). Brayden was way better than I ever could have imagined! He was happy, loved looking at the lights/sounds, and overall stayed calm and content.

He loved the baby carrier! I took him with me when I went to find food and he cracked me up! First, he was like this....

Then before I knew it, he was OUT!

Watching the game from daddy's lap!

Of course, we also had our other game tradition - ice cream! :)

The only time he got cranky at the game was right before this family photo (and that was at the end of 9 innings)! He was hungry so I fed him a bottle, and he was just about to fall asleep again when we took this photo.

I really enjoyed sharing this experience with my parents. We all had such a great time together!

Now that I know he can do so well, I can't wait for the next one!! :)

I Love this Game

Growing up, baseball was a huge part of my life. From all-star tournaments to district games and fall ball, life at our house was pretty much consistent around the concept of eat, sleep, baseball.

I. Loved. It.

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved baseball. Every evening during the span of April-October, the sounds of a baseball game filtered through my family’s home.

Our summer vacations were determined by whose team made the State tournament that year. We travelled all over Louisiana to Texas, Alabama, and Mississippi for games, tournaments, double headers, and even one time – the World Series.

When I reached high school, the wonderful world of baseball card collecting was opened up to me. It was a hobby that my dad and I could enjoy together. We had a lot of fun going from card store to card store, purchasing cards of our favorite players, mystery grab bags, and beckett card guides.

Source

As a matter of fact, this photo was pinned to my wall for years after the Astros clinched the Central Division in the 1997 Playoffs.

I guess you could call me a baseball fanatic.

Yes, the ballparks have been like another home for me over the years. The summer sun, bleachers, loud fans, the smell of fresh cut grass, the sound of a good solid hit, cleats scraping against the concrete – I have so many wonderful memories associated with America’s Past time.

I’ve made it a goal of mine (sorry Jason if you’re reading this)…

I want to visit every ballpark in the country throughout my lifetime. This goal is being added to my “bucket list”.

Here’s the three I’ve visited to date:

Globe Life Park in Arlington aka The Ballpark in Arlington (Texas Rangers – Arlington, Texas) Look at young Karen…talk about throwback! :)

Minute Maid Park  (Houston Astros – Houston, Texas)

Yankee Stadium (New York Yankees – South Bronx, New York)

Three out of 30…not too shabby – only 27 to go!

When my brother’s team made it to the World Series several years ago,  the opening ceremonies speaker really hit home with the way I feel about this sport and I’d like to share it with my fellow baseball friends/fans!

“I’ve always wanted to travel and see the world. It’s been a dream of mine for as long as I can remember. Who only knew that my “world” would be full of green grass, red dirt, and wooden bleachers?

It consists of small towns on back roads in places that I’ve never even heard of. I’ve traveled Interstate 20 from Louisiana to Mississippi, Alabama, all the way through where it ends in South Carolina. I’ve seen campuses, city parks, and fields that are hidden in the deep woods of Tennessee, the grand stadiums of Texas, and the soggy fields of Louisiana and Florida.

The World I’ve seen is where friendships and lifelong memories are made. Mother’s fathers, sisters, and brothers bonding together to assist a team.

I’ve seen teams say “How do we?”…. How do we walk in as a team…our appearance, our form? The sound of our cleats scraping on the concrete announcing that we are here.

…Taking infield…our rallies, our cheers, our resolve, our strengths, our weaknesses, our personalities, our determination, our sportsmanship, the butterflies, words mumbled, words forgotten.

…slides, double plays, safe at home, over the fence, heat and ice…our voices silenced.

It’s the silent prayers, the knots in the stomach, the tightness in our chest…and the need to just breathe. It’s the turning of your head and hiding your eyes because you just can’t look.

…It’s the good luck charms, the locks of hair, hidden pennies, the lucky underwear, it’s the magic, it’s the mojo, it’s the prayer.

…Dirty uniforms, stubborn red dirt, tons of quarters, the pinning of socks, coat hangers, jerseys, missing socks, and trying to get those white pants white once again.

It’s the coaches…fair umps…bad umps…and lucky calls.

It’s the things that are not fair, bad judgments, favorite players, unnoticed good plays, and bad plays that are remembered for a lifetime.

The smell of fresh cut grass, the sunny skies, and the distant sound of rolling thunder. Light drizzles, torrential rains, delays, games starting at 1 o’clock in the morning…delirious and giddy. The excitement in the air, the crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd.

It’s about summer, friendships, and memories we’ll remember forever. We’ve all had the time of our lives.

It’s called baseball.

I love this game.”

What’s your favorite sport?

Disclaimer: As a baseball fanatic, I truly do LOVE this game. No compensation or product was given in exchange for writing this blog post – again, I truly just love this sport and want to share my love with the world! :)