Road Trip

When I say we've been traveling a lot lately, this might help to give you some kind of idea...

6 Days

6 States

1,700 Miles

38 Hours of Travel

= 

One Tired Family!!!

Carter Is Carter

Here are some conversations that we have had recently with Carter. He's 26 months old now. We know that he's awake when we hear him talking, and we know he's asleep when we don't hear him talking anymore :) I will add more as I can...

The other day I had a conversation with him, and this is how it went:

Me: Are you a big boy or a baby? 
Carter: No, Tarter no baby. 
Me: You're not a baby?
Carter: No
Me: Are you a big boy? 
Carter: Name Tarter
Me: Yes, your name is Carter. Carter, are you a big boy? 
Carter: No, Tarter is Tarter

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A few days later we were at the dinner table. Kevin had given C a bath before dinner bc he was filthy. I had asked Kevin about something and he was explaining something to me. Carter was just sitting there eating his dinner while we talked...

Me: Asked some unmemorable question...
Kevin: I couldn't...I had a naked baby in my arms (talking about Carter)
Carter: Tapping Kevin on the shoulder.... No Daddy, me big boy! 
*Kevin and I just looked at each other in amazement... I guess we didn't know he was listening or would know who we were talking about since we never said his name! He's growing up and understanding everything!!!

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We were on our way to North Carolina the other day, we told Carter that we were going to see Grandmama and Granddaddy when we got there! After our 11 hour drive, we got to our hotel before my parents. We started walking into our hotel, Carter turns around and starts running back to the car. He said "No, Tarter doe Greemama and Granddaddy's HOUSE." He thought we were going to their house. We had to DRAG him (kicking and screaming) into the hotel room. I even called mom for her to talk to him and tell him they were coming. He didn't calm down until they got there - 1 hour later! He was so very dissapointed that we weren't at their house! That night when we were trying to get him to go to sleep, he said "Tarter no sleep. Tarter doe home. Tarter doe Greemama's House." He was giving us two choices, and they didn't include the hotel room. He calmed down and ended up getting a good night's sleep. At the end of the weekend, Carter did indeed get to go to Grandmama and Granddaddy's house, and he's spending a few days there. He loves it!!!

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He answers questions with a Yes or a No, and he restates everything. If I ask him, "Carter, would you like to go play cars?" He will either say, "No, Tarter doe pay tars." or "Yes, Tarter doe pay tars." 

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His favorite place to be is outside. He sounds Chinese when he says the word "outside." He runs to the door and says "Tarter doe pay out-sigh."

Fall & Family

We've been traveling...as in: I only remember 1 weekend spent at home in about 2 months - traveling... There have been at least 2 weeks that we were not at home at all or only for 1-2 days. Goodness...

Needless to say, it has been difficult. There have been various reasons for our travels - football games, consignment sales, just needing help from my mama, visits with far-away family, deaths in the family, etc... This Fall has been full of travel. I haven't done a great job of taking pictures because some of our visits were not the type where constant picture taking is appropriate, some of our visits were too crazy to remember the camera, and the rest of the time I've been too tired to move :)

Thankfully, no matter the reason for our travels during this busy season, there has always been family to meet us where we land! Here are some of the family moments we've had this Fall.

Time with Nana and Papa J

Abby and Sam traveled to AU for the LSU game.

Brett and Michelle came to AU to visit from Jacksonville. When we took this picture they said "Smile, Michelle's pregnant!" Yay for another niece or possibly a nephew :)

Playing Trains at "Greemama's House"

Eating Breakfast with the horses...

Smiles with Grandmama

"Four do do" rides with Granddaddy

Cooking with Grandmama

Snuggle time with clean boys!

Bed time stories

Playing Farm

Showing Granddaddy the "tars" 

Snuggles with Bamie

Kisses from Granddaddy

Learning to snuff a candle

Where are Carter and Justus? Haha!

Thank you, Lord for keeping us safe during our many travels this season of our lives!!! Thank you also for the warmth and love we feel everytime we go "home" to visit our families. Amen

5 Months Old

Dear Miles,
You are 5 months old now - actually, you're about halfway to 6 months old since I'm writing this late! This past month was a whirlwind. We did a lot of traveling, and we got to spend a lot of time with family. You did great in the car. Mommy wasn't sure how you would do with all the traveling, but you are learning that car rides are not the worst thing in the whole world. Mommy has to ride in the back with you and your brother a lot during our long trips, but I don't mind. You guys are pretty fun :) You smile, laugh, and coo a lot right now - you love one-on-one attention! You are starting to have a happy wake up disposition as well which I love! One of my favorite things about being your mommy at this age is peeking over the side of the crib and seeing you light up with a smile from ear to ear when you see me! Another thing I love about you is that when you are really sleepy, mommy and daddy can rub your little forehead and you go right to sleep a lot of the time. It's so sweet! You cling to me when I hold you a lot more so than your brother did. I feel like I get little hugs all day long from you, and I love it!

Here's your 5 Month Picture:


Here you are with your dog:

Here you are with Carter. He's 26 months old, and he loves you so much. He is learning to include you and share with you. Other times he throws things at you and pulls things away from you :)

Here are some of the things we did this month: 

• We have been TRAVELING this month! 
• We were in Auburn 3/4 weekends this month so that mommy and daddy could go to football games (even though our team stinks this year), and so that we could see your Aunts/Uncles/Cousins. You and Carter got to stay with Nana and Papa J during all the games!
• You met Abby & Sam, and Aunt Jill & Uncle Kevin (not pictured)

• We stayed with Grandmama and Granddaddy for a week while mommy shopped and worked the consignment sale. Now you and Carter have all of your winter clothes and Christmas presents! 
• You got your first sink bath! 

• You and your brother had to go to the doctor this month. You had a double ear infection and he had a bad cold!  You both have antibiotics, and are getting better - slowly but surely. 
• It's pretty much been all traveling / visiting with family this month! When we are at home, we try to get you back on your nap schedule so that you continue to be a happy baby and let brother play in the yard with Fischer until his little heart is content. Stay at home / pajama days are necessary when you spend as much time in the car as we do! Here we are on a pajama day...

Here are some things you are doing now: 

• You weigh 16lbs. 5oz. and you're about 26 inches long.
• You nurse about 6 times a day and you now eat baby food 3 times a day! You've had cereal, sweet potatoes, green beans, squash, applesauce, pears, and bananas. Bananas and sweet potatoes are your favorite. 

First taste of food - rice cereal! 

Your first taste of baby food - sweet potatoes! You did really well eating food for the first time! 

• You sleep a total of 8-10 hours at night! Your ear infections / all our traveling made you not sleep through the night anymore. We are working on getting back on schedule. 
• You take 2-3 good naps a day (1-4 hours) - when we are home. In the car you will not sleep for more than 20 min. at a time!
• You have great head control. You want to watch EVERYTHING that happens around you! This makes nursing very hard to do when Carter is running around :)
• You like your play gym. You talk and grab the animals hanging inside or your brother who joins you on a regular basis!

• You reach for things, and your eye-hand coordination is getting better. You can pretty much grab anything you set your mind to - although you may not get it on the first try. 
• You roll over all the time from front to back! You like to sleep on your tummy and you HATE when you accidently flip on your back. Mommy has to flip you back over all the time for you to get your sleep! 
• When you are  on your back you roll from side to side. 
• You love your hands. You look at them / play with them / put them in your mouth all the time. 
• You are starting to like your paci more! We are thankful that with all the traveling we've had to do it calms you.
• You smile and laugh a lot more now. You are such a happy baby!
• You are still very ticklish. One of your favorite things is to feel daddy's face when it's scratchy because he hasn't shaved. You thing that's hilarious!
• You can sit and stand with support. 
• You like to be rocked and sung to. Grandmama is a pro at this! You sing along with her as she sings you to sleep.

Here is your typical schedule...

5:30am - You still like to nurse at this time on a regular basis. You started this last month (I think when you were getting sick), and we're trying to drop this feeding. However, when you are hungry at this time, you eat and then go right back to sleep.
7:30am - Mealtime (Nurse & Cereal/Oatmeal/or Fruit) then Play
8:30am - Naptime 
10:00am - Mealtime (Nurse) then Chores / Bible Study / Grocery Shopping
11:00am - Naptime (this is longer if we are home - many days we are not home at this time)
12:30pm - Mealtime (Nurse & Veggie) then Play
1:30pm - Naptime (best nap of the day!)
4:00pm - Mealtime (Nurse) then Waketime (if your second morning nap was short you will sometimes take another nap...if it was longer, you will probably stay up at this time)
6:00pm - Mealtime (Nurse & Fruit or Veggie) then Waketime
7:30pm - Mealtime / Bathtime (on bath nights) / Bed
REPEAT...

I can hear you waking up from your nap now. Off I go to go kiss your sweet face and soak up that toothless smile!

Love,
Mommy

PS. This is what your brother did when he was 5 months old. 

Happy Fall, Y'all!

Here are some Fall pictures Kevin's mom and I took of the boys. I made their pumpkin shirts! We are hoping to wear them to the pumpkin patch sometime next week! I can't wait to take Carter this year. He is going to love it. Miles will be along for the crazy ride as usual :)

Miles is starting to be so smiley, but it's almost impossible to catch him when his hands aren't in his mouth!

...as usual the Fall photoshoot digressed into a pumpkin throwing activity :)

Watch out, Miles! 

My Nonnie

My Nonnie passed away this past Friday. She was a wonderful lady, and she is the reason many wonderful people are in the world and in my life. Many of my personality traits come from my Nonnie, and I'm thankful to be like her in many ways. Those traits will always remind me of her now that she's gone.

I'm so thankful that both of my boys were able to meet their Nonnie. 

They just loved her - and her chocolates :)

She was a dear lady who will be missed by all who knew her and loved her. 

5 Months Mark

Miles turned 5 months old last week, and I got a picture of him and his brother :)

Yes, that is a look of mischief and terror...

They are going to be so close! I don't want to wish away any part of life, but I cannot wait until they can play together.

I'll be back later (probably closer to 6 months) to do his 5 Month Blog. For now the pictures will have to do as the marker of this milestone because we have more than 24 hours of driving/riding in the car between now and this coming Sunday (North Carolina and back then Mississippi and back). What's that you hear? It is not me cheering or getting excited...

Yes, I do believe we will be stopping at every Chick-Fil-A between here and there, so that C-man can play and I can get a milk shake :)

Amen, Amen, Amen

Found this prayer while reading this article today. 

Thank you, Lord for sending me this word. I'm so very guilty of being a grumbling mommy - especially recently. That is not the kind of mommy/wife/friend I want to be!!!

What I've been Learning...

As the mom of a 2 year old who is perfecting the skill of throwing fits and a 5 month old who has forgotten how to sleep through the night, here it is, what I've learned...

I've also been clinging to the promise that...

One of the hardest lessons that I've been learning; however, is that the "all things" that the verse refered to is not ALL things in general (thus the top lesson comes in to play). Christ will not strengthen me to do every little nit-picky thing that I used to do - back in my 1 child or no child days. He will strengthen me to do only the things that I am called to do for his Glory. That does not always include everything on my "all things" list. Not an easy lesson for someone who likes to get things done as much as I do. Sometimes he only strengthens me enough to get through the day with everyone still in one piece.