Me and My House

A Year & a Half!

2012-01-20T08:00:00.009-06:00

I can't believe it, but it's here - Carter is 18 months old! That's a year and a half (which sounds really old if you happen to be me)! For future reference for my mommy brain, this post is simply an update on what all our little man is doing at this age!

CARTER'S 18 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I'm pretty sure he weighs over 30 lbs (we are going to the dr. next week, and I'll update).

- He has all of his teeth up to the 1st year molars - his daddy looked in his mouth the other day and said, "Dude, when did you get all those teeth?" (Where was he during teething?!?!?)

- He loves to "Doe" which means "Go." I will say, "Carter, it's time to go." and he squeals and runs to the door. Now, if only he would be that pleasant the whole time we are out and about :-) The other day, I put my fleece on in the house because I was cold; he ran to the door and said "Doe?, Doe?, Doe?"

- He is starting to say "MEEL" (milk).

- He tries to say a lot of random words that we say. After we say a sentence, he will usually pick out one word and try it....sometimes he gets pretty close....sometimes not so much :-)

- He loves to climb/stand/sit on his Daddy's stomach and back - though he doesn't hold on yet, so "horsey rides" aren't possible quite yet. Jumping off is pretty fun though!

- He is napping for about 1-2 hours in the morning, 2-4 hours in the afternoon, and sleeping 11-12 hours a night!

- When he gets really tired at night, (sometimes) he will start cleaning up his toys and go stand at the stairs. His main incentive for doing this is most likely that he loves bubble baths before bed! If you try to give him a bath without bubbles, he will point to them and ask for "bubbls." He has tried to eat the bubbles - they were not good.

- He loves "sorting" things (passing things out & gathering them back). Packaged peppermints, pens/pencils, small bean bags, etc...

- He knows what these animals say: cow (moo), horse (naaaaay), monkey (oh oh ah ah), snake (shhhhh), sheep (ba ba), and elephant (blows his lips together).

- He loves to look in a Picture Dictionary book that we have. He especially loves the farm themed page. I was teaching him a few of the things on those pages. His favorite is the "taater" (tractor), and he also likes to wave (hello) and say "Haaaay" to the picture of the hay - gotta love a good ole' southern boy!!! :-)

- His favorite songs are "Ba, Ba, Black Sheep" and "The Itsy Bitsy Spider."

- He can play a complete game of Patty Cake now (all the motions - clapping, rolling, and throwing)

- He "blows" kisses. But sometimes his hand doesn't leave his face...

- He loves to skype with his aunts & uncles! I think it's mostly because he can see himself in the small screen, but he talks/laughs/and acts like a complete "ham" the whole time.

- He can follow fairly complicated directions.

- When we tell him "No" he sometimes points at us and says "No, No!" (and then he gets punished for this).

- He has started testing boundaries a lot more to see what he can get away with. Mommy has gotten out her book "Dare to Discipline" by Dr. Dobson and is reading up because the time has come :-)

- He likes to make direct eye contact. If you are working on something, he will sometimes come stick his face directly in your face. He also will look at you and smack your cheek when you are reading him a book to get you to look at him instead of the book.

- He says and does the sign for "PEES" (please).

- He can do the big kid slide in our neighborhood all by himself now. All I do is walk beside him on the ground to "spot" him on the stairs.

- He LOVES to be outside (we are ready for warm weather already).

- His vocabulary is ever growing and changing. I've included some of the new things he's saying in the points above.

I can't believe it's been a year and a half already! I'm now realizing why so many people have told me that 18 months was one of their favorite ages though! He's a blast, and it is so fun to watch all the things he's learning.

Catching Up!

2012-01-16T16:51:00.004-06:00

I'm determined to be better at blogging regularly :-) Here's a few of the fun things we've been up to on these cold winter days!

Making faces, and documenting it.

Changing light bulbs & climbing ladders. Carter liked to jump/fall off when he got to the top. Such a little boy.

Taking lots of warm bubble baths! They are a favorite around our house :-)

Toys, Toys Everywhere!

2012-01-16T16:42:00.004-06:00

All of you with children out there know the headache that toys and more toys and more toys can bring on. I came up with an idea for a storage system for our playroom to try to get the toymania under control! I was tired of toy lined walls... My wonderful husband did a BEAUTIFUL job creating what has now become my very favorite piece of furniture in the whole house :-)

I got the baskets at Target and sewed felt to the bottom to keep scratching to a minimum. The bottom bins are larger "vegetable bin" style. The labels on the front are small chalkboards.

The right side is a large chalkboard.

The left side is magnetic!

Thanks, to my hubby for making all my "do you think you could do this..." comments become reality :-)

Baby #2 Update

2012-01-16T16:15:00.005-06:00

I have done a terrible job with documenting this pregnancy.

This picture was taken at either 21 or 22 weeks. I honestly cannot remember...maybe Kevin will remember :-) Ha! The reason I never take pictures of myself? Well, that's simple - I never wear "real" clothes anymore except for (MAYBE) 2-3 days a week. We hang around the house in sweats & PJ's for the most part around here, and we're totally cool with that!

The pregnancy is going great, and we are gearing up for another precious little boy. My mother was here for a few days last week, and we did a lot of organizing and cleaning out of closets/under beds. By the time she left, we organized every single closet in the house, cleaned out under every bed, broken down our twin bed guest room, and moved our queen bed guest room into the twin bedroom. Carter's big boy room will be the old queen bedroom, so it is now (basically) empty and waiting for the big boy room to start coming together - that's the fun part (to me!). His room will remain sports themed.

The new baby's nursery's theme is yet to be decided, but I'm inspired by this artwork I found on Etsy (I think I may try to make something like this for above his crib!).

A New Year's Eve Wedding

2012-01-10T16:38:00.000-06:00

Kevin's Cousin Abby got married on New Year's Eve. We had so much fun celebrating her big day and ringing in the New Year with family!

Carter and his cousins dressed in their best!

The ceremony was beautiful!

We clean up well!

The Watts Boys & Their Families

We danced the night away!

Happy New Year!

Congratulations, Sam & Abby!

Getting Ready for a New Year

2011-12-29T18:30:00.000-06:00

Well, as usual, we are busy bees around here. We've finished up all our Christmas parties, visits, etc... as you have seen in the previous post, and we've taken all the Christmas decorations down (insert sigh of relief that this chore is done).

Kevin's cousin is getting married this weekend - yay! We are headed to B'ham for a New Year's Eve Wedding celebration! I have to go shopping to get a nice dress that will fit my 20 week pregnant body, and I'm thinking about getting Carter his first tie for the event (I don't think I will be able to resist :-) He got a haircut today in preparation for the big day, and such a big (looking) boy probably should wear a tie. Needless to say, we are looking forward to it!

NOTE: I went shopping shortly after writing this post...WORST. TRIP. EVER. Carter did not get a tie, and I did not get a dress. We both go frustrated - REALLY frustrated. He tried to escape multiple dressing rooms (while I had no clothes on - of course). He went down for a nap the SECOND we got back to the house, and I ate chocolate and drank diet coke the rest of the day to try to recover. I don't know what we will wear- I may try again later. Probably not. Honestly, there will be a beautiful bride distracting everyone's attentions anyway. Thank you, Abby!

I'm also looking forward to a new year. This year is going to bring some exciting changes to our family, and we are excited! I love starting a new year with a new, BLANK calendar! I found that VistaPring is offering FREE calendars!!! I spent some time inserting some of my favorite pictures from this year, added Bible Verse captions - to keep me focused on God's Word this year as I am planning my activities, and inserted all our family Birthdays/Holidays/Due Dates.... I can't wait for it to come in!!! I opted for the "slow" shipping, so it'll be a while before I get my hands on it (mid-Jan), but I only paid $5.67 (shipping) - only $1 more than Wal-Mart calendars - and soooooo much better!!!

(PS. Yes, that smiley face is my Due Date:-)

Christmas Came

2011-12-29T11:31:00.013-06:00

We had a wonderful Christmas...all over the state of Alabama :-) We started out celebrating the season with our Sunday School Class. So fun to see all the kiddos starting to really play together at our socials! Also fun to get to spend time with the babies :-)

Next, we headed to Wedowee, AL where we celebrated Christmas with Kevin's extended family. We started out at Mawmaw & Pawpaw's (AKA: the Farm).

Dustin donned his Christmas Sweater t-shirt :-)

Carter got some snuggle time with Nana.

We opened lots of presents - Carter was totally spoiled by everyone involved!

This is the BEST picture I got of his Christmas outfit that I made for him.

He got a Stuffed Santa - he likes this Santa MUCH more than the real thing :-)

Peek-a-boo, Papa J!

Next we headed over to Gran & DaddyBob's (AKA: the Lake). Carter was the only Grandchild there, so the spoiling continued (who could resist?)

Playing with Daddy.

Carter is drawn to piles of presents - what can I say - who isn't?

Playing with DaddyBob.

After our wonderful weekend in Wedowee, we headed back to Huntsville. My sweet mother-in-law has been giving me Christmas dishes since we got married (for every birthday/Christmas). This Christmas, I got my 12th place setting - a complete set - woohoo!!! Soooo, I thought I'd have a 12 person dinner party. We had 5 other couples over, and had a fantastic evening with our "Huntsville Family." I cooked ham, green bean casserole, maccaroni & cheese, corn casserole, rolls, and apple pie - everything was yummy!!! Here was my table...

So pretty, thanks, Mrs. Claire!

For those wondering: the plates are scooted up so no little hands pulled them off the table!

We didn't forget about the kiddos...they had their table too!

Note: This didn't last long...

They were done and back to playing/watching cartoons in about 5 minutes flat :-)

At least they are now able to occupy each other while we eat and visit!

Over the next few days, we had fun dancing to Christmas music and checking out presents under the tree. Sorry about the non-quality of these photos - they were too cute not to share!

Pharaoh, Pharaoh?

Next, we headed down to Auburn, AL to celebrate Christmas there with our immediate families. We have never been away from home on Christmas Eve/Christmas Day, but we decided to be in Auburn this year. It was a special time with both families, and we got to spend more time than usual with both sides - a Christmas present in itself. We started at Kevin's parents' house.

Carter and his cousins are all old enough to play together now, and they have a BLAST!

Every doll house needs a boy's touch :-)

We opened gifts.

This one was a hit...

Yee-Haw!!!

Every time Carter rides his horsey, he says "NAY NAY" in his most Southern voice - melts my heart. :-)

The girls got their rides in too!

It was pretty warm, so the boys played outside.

Here are some shots Nana took, and I doctored up. They are precious!

Next we headed over to my family's home in Waverly, AL. We donned our animal hats from long, long, ago and loaded up in the back of the truck, of course, and headed over to the Tinsley's Christmas Light Extravaganza. It is in the MIDDLE. OF. NOWHERE. However, it is a Christmas Family Tradition, and it is spectacular :-)

(Note - for those of you who want to call child services: Carter rode in his carseat until we got there...)

Carter passed out Grandmama's peppermints to everyone - over and over and over again. This was literally all he wanted to do.

On Christmas morning, we opened presents. Yet again - there was no shortage of spoiling C-man. He caught on to the whole unwrapping presents this year.

Santa brought him a John Deere lawn mower.

Grandmama & Granddaddy gave him a Tonka Dump Truck - just what every little boy needs.

Again, it was warm enough for the boys to get some outside time - Waverly-Style :-)

It was a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Drumroll Please....

2011-12-21T01:16:00.002-06:00

We are super excited to announce that Carter is going to have a BABY BROTHER in May 2012!!! That's right, Watts Baby #2 is a BOY, and we couldn't be more excited! I'm thinking I may have to get me one of these shirts...

(Found this at http://www.boymomdesigns.com/)

BoyMom - that's me :-)

The Reason for the Season

2011-12-19T15:33:00.003-06:00

As we approach Christmas Day, I am trying to keep my focus on the true meaning of Christmas. That God sent his one and only precious son to Earth. I heard this for the first time the other day, and I love it. I pray that we will all focus on Jesus as we go through the hustle and bustle of the next week because he is the reason we celebrate!!!

"One Solitary Life"

He was born in an obscure village
The child of a peasant woman
He grew up in another obscure village
Where he worked in a carpenter shop
Until he was thirty

He never wrote a book
He never held an office
He never went to college
He never visited a big city
He never travelled more than two hundred miles
From the place where he was born
He did none of the things
Usually associated with greatness
He had no credentials but himself

He was only thirty three

His friends ran away
One of them denied him
He was turned over to his enemies
And went through the mockery of a trial
He was nailed to a cross between two thieves
While dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing
The only property he had on earth

When he was dead
He was laid in a borrowed grave
Through the pity of a friend

Nineteen centuries have come and gone
And today Jesus is the central figure of the human race
And the leader of mankind's progress
All the armies that have ever marched
All the navies that have ever sailed
All the parliaments that have ever sat
All the kings that ever reigned put together
Have not affected the life of mankind on earth
As powerfully as that one solitary life

Santa's Village

2011-12-14T23:08:00.005-06:00

We went with some friends to the North Pole (AKA: Downtown Hville) to visit Santa at his village, and we had a blast!

We got to see the toy work shop.

It even snowed while we were there - every 20 minutes!!! Disclaimer: The secret to Alabama "snow" is tiny bubbles :-)

Touching snow.

We got to meet the reindeer!

We are pretty sure that this wasn't Rudolph because his nose didn't glow.

We rode in a sleigh - Colton drove because he's older.

Mommy & Daddy got to ride too!

Then...the big moment - we got to meet Santa himself!

Carter hates Santa.

Good thing the cookie decorating was there to help calm us down.

So we ate our cookies and looked at the Candy Cane Garden to recover from seeing Santa.

Oh Christmas Tree, Oh Christmas Tree....

Frosty's face is waving...

Frosty's Face is taking a Cookie Break...

There we go...It's Frosty!

Looking at the toy trains.

At the blacksmith's shop - he was making stocking hooks.

Then it was time to leave, so the boys all held hands to cross the street and head back to Alabama - it's a long walk from the North Pole!

Merry Christmas from the Watts Family

2011-12-14T08:22:00.003-06:00

For unto us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be upon his shoulders. And his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah 9:6

Christmastime is Here!

2011-12-10T21:04:00.006-06:00

I just love this time of year. The story, the traditions, the lights, the trees, the stockings, the music, the fires, the time with family...I could go on and on!

One tradition that my family grew up with is that on the day we decorated our Christmas Tree we got a St. Nick present. It just showed up under the newly decorated tree every year - the first present of the season. It was always such a fun surprise - a present for the family!

Kevin and I decided to keep this tradition alive, and this year St. Nick brought Carter a big squishy ball! He could not have been more excited!

He ran around hugging this ball for days. The St. Nick tradition is gonna be a hit in our home I have a feeling!

Carter and I were feeling crafty one day and decided that his little tree in his playroom needed a special touch, so we painted Christmas ornaments. He was over it in a matter of seconds and much more focused on painting his diaper, so we only painted 3. They turned out really cute though!

Carter loves our Christmas tree. He especially likes the ornaments he can touch (the ones on the bottom). His very favorite is Santa in a hammock - he gives Santa a push - right before he rips him off the tree.

He also loves the Nativity. He calls Baby Jesus "JeeJee" and he can pick out both JeeJee and Joseph. I'm teaching him that the story of Baby Jesus is in the Bible. He will bring his little Bible to you if you ask him, and he likes to say the word "BieBLLLL." So sweet!!! That camel has been known to stick his head in Carter's mouth on occasion as well - nobody knows how that happened :-)

What doesn't fit in the next picture???

That's right - JeeJee is a little bit different, fluffier than usual. Well, that's because this is the official Baby Jesus of our home. It actually goes to a little "My First Christmas" book that is cloth and has finger puppets. We've had it out year round, so Carter has gotten to know the story. When I ask him, "Where is Baby Jesus?" He goes and gets this little stuffed JeeJee out of the book, so we eventually just replaced the other one for now! We are having so much fun with our little man this Christmas!!!

I can't wait to see what other family traditions will come with time!

O, Christmas Tree!

2011-12-10T20:35:00.004-06:00

We went on a hunt...

a hunt for the perfect Christmas tree. There were so many to choose from! We had to walk through them all to look for the right one.

Did you know that Christmas trees are itchy when you touch them?

Carter found a few that he really liked, but we redirected him :-)

"It leans just like me!"

"Yep, this is it."

Daddy did the measuring with his hand.

We got a little tired while hunting, so we had to rest...

Eventually, we found our perfect tree...

...so we rode the trolley back from the Christmas Tree field.

While they were packing up our tree, Carter got to take a pony ride!

It was a great December afternoon!

Baby #2 Update

2011-12-09T11:16:00.004-06:00

Well, I thought I'd post a bit about this pregnancy. Here I am at 16 weeks pregnant.

(my camera has been acting up lately...this is a little out of focus)

Here I am pregnant with Carter (for comparison).

Sorry, we forgot to take one at 14 weeks! I'm feeling great. This pregnancy is flying by, and I have no complaints. I honestly have no time to think about the fact that I am indeed going to have another baby in a very short 5 months (AHHHHH!). We find out what we are having on the 21st of December. Honestly, the only thing I want for Christmas is a healthy baby! I would love another boy - I would love a little girl....it's really a win, win situation. I can't wait to know!!!

16 Month Update

2011-12-09T10:09:00.007-06:00

I can't believe he's already 16 months old!!! Well, he's been 16 months for about 2 weeks now, but it seems like just yesterday.....ok, well maybe not yesterday, but it doesn't seem like it's been over 16 months! He has changed so very much since my 14 month update. It's almost like he's completely transformed into a little boy over the past 2 months. I wanted to record some of the things Carter is doing at this age, so here you go:

CARTER'S 16 MONTH MILESTONES:

- He weighs 29 pounds, and he more than 30 inches (not sure exactly).

- I've lost track of how many teeth he has, but I KNOW that those pesky one year molars have come in (Praise the Lord!), and his eye teeth are working their way in! I think that gives him 14 or so.

- He ~~walks~~ runs EVERYWHERE now. He started walking at the end of September (@ 14 mos.) and hasn't looked back since. He started running at 16 mos :-)

- Now that he is walking/running so much, he doesn't really climb quite as much, but we still love to climb up the stairs and getting in and out of chairs/couches/etc...

- I think the exercise makes him tired because he is napping for about 1-2 hours in the morning, 2-4 hours in the afternoon, and sleeping 12 hours a night!

- When we ask him if he is ready to go upstairs, he runs to the stairs, climbs up them, and runs straight in the bathroom for his bath. This happens pretty much no matter what time of day it is.

- He LOVES taking baths. He plays with all his bath toys. He especially loves cups and dumping water on himself. He also loves laying on his back and stomach in the bath and kicking his feet (leaving mommy completely soaked). He also asks for "bubbls" when he wants me to blow bubbles. He also has a book about bubbles which he calls "bubbls."

- He can reach on top of the counters!

- He likes to sweep (especially when I'm dustmopping).

- His favorite toys are balls (which he has no less than 100 of) and trucks. He makes a truck noise as he's driving things around - even his rubber ducky as he drives it around the bath tub :-)

- When we ask him what a cow says he says "moe" and a monkey says "uh oh oh oh" :-)

- He still likes to sing "If you're happy and you know it" and claps his hands. He also loves "This little light of mine" and puts his hand over my finger when we sing "hide it under a bushel" then he pulls it away at the right time and yells "NO!"

- If I ask him to get his Bible, he will bring it to me! He also loves to say "BIE-BLLL"

- When I ask him where Baby Jesus is, he will go get his finger puppet Christmas book and the little stuffed Baby Jesus out of it. If you ask him to say "Jesus" he says "JeeJee."

- He has started wanting me to read to him. He will bring me books and turn around and back into my lap to sit down. I LOVE that he will sit in my lap now during a book because he has NEVER snuggled, so this is as close as I've gotten in a long time.

- He talks all the time. We call it "alien speech" because it sounds like a little Alien!

- He loves dancing in the kitchen. He presses the button on our refrigerator toy that plays music and will bounce around and twirl. I, of course, am his dance partner.

- He understands so much now! It is amazing to me how his understanding has blossomed in the past few weeks. He can follow fairly complicated directions such as "Go get your milk and bring it to mommy." or "Put the pot back in the cabinet and close the door." Disclaimer: The fact that he IS indeed a one-year-old = he does not ALWAYS follow directions :-)

- He has gotten really good about obeying me when I say "No." See disclaimer above :-)

- His communication skills are greatly improving. When he wants something to drink, he runs to the refrigerator and acts like he is about to die. When he wants something to eat, he opens the pantry door and starts rummaging...again, acting like he is about to die. When he has run out of his drink, he will shake his sippy cup in your face. When he wants to play with you, he will crawl into your lap or throw a ball at your face :-)

- We are working on manners. When he wants something, I ask him to say please. He will (most of the time) do the sign for please and say "PLS."

- He really enjoys playgrounds now. He will climb up the stairs of our playground and slide down all by himself - he even goes head first sometimes. He can do the big kid slide in our neighborhood all by himself too (with mommy RIGHT behind him to make sure he doesn't fall).

- He LOVES to play fetch with Fischer!

- When I tell him "Daddy is home!" He runs to the door and waits for him.

- He likes waving and telling people "hey" and "byebye"

- He is saying quite a few things now, but there's no way I can remember them all! Here are some of his words: dada, mama, dog, hi/hey, bye-bye, bubbles, uh-oh, pls (please), baby (he said this for the first time today!), JeeJee (Jesus), Bie-bl (Bible), ha (hot), ba (ball), Nana, Mamama (Grandmama), NayNay (my mom's dog named Chardonnay), and Pepper (my mom's parrot).

I may have to come back and update this as I remember other things I wanted to include! He is our little man - ever growing and changing. Oh, how we love him.

Christmas Card Outtakes

2011-12-08T17:17:00.003-06:00

The good...

The bad...

and the ugly...

There are no other words.

Cruisin'

2011-12-08T16:54:00.003-06:00

Our wonderful, fantastic, amazing parents took our 15 month old off our hands for a week while we went down to the Carribean for a little bit of sunshine. It was much needed. I hadn't been away from the little stinker for longer than a weekend since he was born, and anyone would need a break after 15 months of a 24 hour job! Kevin and I had so much fun.

We are blessed.

Trick or Treat

2011-12-08T16:36:00.004-06:00

We had so much fun on Halloween. The most special treat of the night was that Aunt Bebe was here to help us celebrate! We wanted our porch to be festive, so we carved a pumpkin. Carter wanted to help, so as daddy pulled all the pumpkin "guts" out, he was carefully shoving them back in - it took some time.

But the finished product was great!

We left our bowl of candy for any neighborhood kiddos who stopped by, and took Superman Trick or Treating.

~~Carter~~ Superman wasn't sure about it at first, but after the first few houses - he got it. And he LOVED it! By the end of the night, he was pointing out houses we were trying to skip, and running up to the porch on his own - sticking both hands in the candy jars at every house. He was the cutest lil' superman on the planet. Ok, I'm a little bit biased, but it's true :-)

It was a SUPER night!

The Pumpkin Patch

2011-12-08T16:26:00.003-06:00

We had never been to a pumpkin patch up here in Huntsville before this past October. Well let me tell you, it's an all day event! Next year, we will devote an entire day to the pumpkin patch. We had so much fun! Look and see:

We took a "hayride" out to the pumpkins.

We walked through the pumpkin patch.

We searched and searched...

We got to touch the pumpkins.

We found out that there are green pumpkins...

We played in the corn.

Slid down slides.

Rode a cow train.

Got sneezed on by a big cow.

Watched a calf get fed a bottle.

Petted piglets...

...and bunnies.

It was a great day!

We'll be back next year to see how we measure up!

All Aboard!!!

2011-12-08T16:17:00.003-06:00

Back in October, Kevin's life-long best friend got married! We traveled to North Carolina to celebrate with David and Alisha on their big day!

Yes, the wedding party wore - Chacos :-) It was perfect.

While we were in the Smokies, we took a train ride with Nana and Papa J. A certain 14 month old loved every minute of the ride - that is the part he saw while he was awake :-) Trains are great for napping!

At lunch, we got off the train and ate lunch by the river. Carter didn't eat much - he was too busy playing with the ducks!

The train museum was so neat to see when we got back to the station!

It was a fun weekend.

Get Ready, They're Coming!

2011-12-08T15:52:00.002-06:00

I have been TERRIBLE at posting things to the blog recently. The reasons? I'm 17 weeks pregnant now - the first trimester had me on the couch resting when I wasn't chasing a one year old :-), and since I got my energy back - well, some of it at least - I've been organizing my coupon world, doing yardwork, cleaning out closets, decorating for Christmas, Christmas shopping, chasing a one year old, cleaning the house, doing the laundry, doing the dishes, and well, you get the point. I don't get to the blog very often - it's just not at the top of my list.... All that to say, I'm going to try to sit here and catch up on some blogs today. Good luck to me.

I'm Thankful

2011-11-30T17:02:00.000-06:00

I'm thankful for Jesus.

I'm thankful for my husband.

I'm thankful for my children - the one who runs me ragged and the one being formed inside me.

I'm thankful for family.

I'm thankful for friends.

I'm thankful for health.

I'm thankful for food, clothing, shelter, transportation.

I'm thankful for my church.

I'm thankful for this country.

....and these days....

I'm thankful for Grandparents.

I'm thankful for toys.

I'm thankful for big brown eyes.

I'm thankful for playgrounds.

I'm thankful for smiles.

I'm thankful when it's not my turn to push.

I'm thankful for Aunts who will play chase.

I'm thankful that my son gets to know and love all our family members.

I'm thankful when there's somebody else around willing to pull the wagon.

I'm thankful that there's nobody Carter would rather play with than his Daddy.

Thank you Lord for giving me the opportunity to live this life, in this place, with these people.

Big News!

2011-10-17T10:50:00.004-05:00

We've got some BIG news in our family - BIG BROTHER news to be exact! That's right, C-man is going to be a big brother in May of 2012 (we are due the 16th). We are so very blessed!!!

The second pregnancy is nothing like the first.

I can't remember how far along I am half the time (I did figure out for this post that I am almost 10 weeks though).
C-man is RIGHT THERE to cheer me on when I get sick (quite literally, but thankfully not often)!
I'm tired, but I can't rest because I have a 1 year old tornado (who graciously takes some naps).
It's FLYING BY already!

But it is the same in that my housework has taken a turn for the worst! Also, and more importantly, we cannot wait to meet this new precious part of our family, and we couldn't be more excited!!! C-man has NO idea what's coming :-)

More Than Enough

2011-10-15T10:23:00.004-05:00

Kevin's been working and helping friends move this morning. While he was out, I got sucked into blogland again.....you know how it is. You find a cute craft on Pinterest which links to a blog, which links to another blog, and so on and so forth.... I spent the morning looking at other people's beautiful blogs.

These blogs tell the tales of their seemingly professionally decorated houses which they actually did themselves (for only $5!). On top of that, their perfect house is being lived in by their wonderfully behaved and boutique dressed children (no "hideous" baby gates necessary)! They eat at their table which of course has a beautiful seasonal decoration on it and on which no processed foods are ever served and everything looks garnished and fresh from the organic section of the grocery store. And somehow they still have time to dry and style their hair and go shopping for fashionable clothes.

Yes, I've been looking at pictures of the "beautiful people" out there again today feeling insufficient, overwhelmed, and like I somehow need to catch up in life... Then my loving God whispered in my ear that he's enough....I don't need any of that stuff. So I am logging off the blogs and facebook (no, not deleting my accounts....just logging off so I have to make an actual effort to get on there next time), and I'm going to go enjoy my Saturday which will probably NOT be picture perfect, and I'm ok with that. I have a neon tunnel in my living room (a MUCH loved toy in our home), a laundry basket turned toy bin spilling over with less than "attractive" but FUN toys, dog hair on my floor (which I'm going to try to lessen today), baby gates everywhere because my boy loves to CLIMB, I have to run to the store today (and I shop at Wal-Mart because I don't have time to figure out couponing), and we're probably going to eat hotdogs and Kraft macaroni and cheese at some point this weekend. But here is what I'm choosing to rejoice in:

1. I have a GOD who thinks my life is special!

2. He has richly PROVIDED for us! - we have food, clothing, shelter, and MORE!

3. We are (relatively) HEALTHY!

4. We have FUN in our less than perfect home!

5. My messy husband and rambunctious 1 year old and I LOVE each other more than words could say!

I'll leave you with those thoughts and the chorus to Jeremy Camp's song "Enough":

More than all I want
More than all I need
You are more than enough for me.
More than all I know
More than all I can see
You are more than enough for me.

Milestones

2011-09-20T14:30:00.007-05:00

We've been checking in on some milestones in our family recently.

Fischer turned 2 last Friday! We celebrated by giving him a HUGE bone from Publix.

He LOVED it, and there's actually not much left of it! I am hoping that this milestone will mark the beginning of him calming down some and not licking everything in sight, but I'm not getting my hopes up. Afterall, he is a lab!

Today marks another milestone - Carter is 14 months old!

I can't believe our little man is already 14 months. It seems like just yesterday that he was a baby. Now he's such a big boy. He's been getting dangerously close to walking - he's taking connected steps and getting really brave - letting go of things all by himself and walking away from them! The one thing that made him still seem like a baby is soon to be gone, and I'll have a big walking boy on my hands! I couldn't be prouder of my lil' man! He's such a tremendous blessing!

CARTER'S 14 MONTH MILESTONES:

- He has 8 teeth!

- He is learning the correct times to wave and say "hey" or "bye-bye."

- He is getting good at climbing up into chairs and couches.

- He starting to reach for things on top of counters.

- He is starting to take connected steps, but crawling is still the primary mode of transportation.

- He claps and cheers for himself :-)

- He points to a few things in his books when we ask where they are....mostly dogs (of course)!

- He is very curious. He points to everything and says "eh" as if to say "what is that, mommy"

- He "talks" all the time.

- He is saying, dada, dog, hi/hey, mama, bubu (bubbles), bye-bye, uh-oh, and ha (hot). Every now and then he will say another random word (or phrase) - but those are the repeated words.

One Year Pictures

2011-09-06T12:41:00.003-05:00

My sister took Carter's 1 Year Pictures. I love, love, love them! Here are some of my favorites!

We are blessed to have such a wonderfully joyful little one year old boy in our lives!

Party, Party!

2011-09-06T12:27:00.006-05:00

Here are the things that I made for Carter's 1st Birthday Party. Yes, I know it was more than a month ago - goodness, it was almost 2 months ago!!! What can I say, I have a 1 year old!

The outfit....

I even made it reversible so that he could wear it after his big day!

The banner...

The hat & high chair banner....

It was so fun to add my handmade touches to his 1st Birthday Party! I really enjoyed making these things, and plan to use (some of) them again!

DISCLAIMER: Please don't think I'm a supermom who has it all together though. On the morning of his party, I got so wrapped up in greeting the grandparents/getting ready for the party - I TOTALLY FORGOT TO PUT ON MAKEUP!!!! Yes, I had 40 people at my house - and not a stitch of makeup on my face. We also went out to eat to Logans on his "real" birthday because I was so tired from the party :-) I remembered to wear makeup to Logans!

I am a real mom.

If You're Happy and You Know It

2011-08-31T10:32:00.001-05:00

My 12th Month

2011-08-22T13:54:00.012-05:00

Hey Everybody!

Since I turned one I have been a very busy boy! Mommy and I have been so busy, I just now have had the time to do my 12th and final post on my first year of life. Here I am at 1 year old!!! For all of you who do not know already, 12 months = 1 year.

I went on my 2nd plane flight - that's right 2nd flight in my first year! Daddy came this time. We went to Washington again to visit my Aunt Bebe and Uncle Jason.

I helped Mommy pack for the trip.

We went to Mt. St. Helens. That's a big volcano, so I'm not too sure why mommy and daddy wanted to get so close to it, but I went along for the ride. I'm just glad we didn't get blasted by hot lava! It was beautiful there.

They even had some museums where I got to pet a fox and bear. No silly, they were not alive, but they sure were interesting!

Then we went to Seattle. We visited the Pike's Street Market - you know the place where they throw the fish.

I had to ride on daddy's shoulders because it was too crowded for the stroller.

We couldn't go back to Seattle without taking daddy to go see the Fremont Troll! That thing is just too cool!

We also went to the Ballard Locks where you can watch the Salmon swim upstream. I LOVED to watch those big fish swim!

Daddy and Uncle Jason ate a HUGE crab meal. One day I will be able to eat like a real man - real men use hammers to get to their food.

Practicing...

We were there for the 4th of July - America's Birthday!!! I'm alot younger than America, but I enjoyed celebrating her birthday! We went to a fair at Ft. Lewis.

Then we went to go see fireworks at the Lake Union Park in Seattle. Mommy and Daddy thought it was strange that we had to wear jackets on the 4th of July. I'm not sure why as this was my very first 4th of July. I guess I'll find out next year!

I wrestled Aunt Bebe to the ground while we were waiting for the fireworks to start.

I also worked on my Nunchuck skills...

The next day we met my Washington buddies at the zoo! They are twins, and their mommy is my mommy's college roommate.

I had never been to the zoo before, but apparently it's where all the cool animals live. We saw lots of animals - an elephant, monkey, camel, owl, tiger cub.....

.....but my very, very favorite animal was the GOAT!!!!!!!!!!

After we went to the zoo, we went back to their house and played for a little while. Here's a picture of all of us:

We had a lot of fun out there, but we had to come back home to get ready for my birthday party! I help mommy do lots of things around the house. I especially like helping her cook.

I also help daddy grill...

Sometimes when I think they probably have all of that under control, I just drive my truck around the house or do puzzles.

They took me to Bridgestreet to see the Rick and Bubba Basketball Competition. It was too hot to watch basketball, so we decided to play in the fountains instead!

Then it was finally time for my birthday party. I had to get myself ready for all my guests....

Mommy got the house all ready for my DOG Party! Mommy did a dog theme because it's one of my only words that I can say....and I love dogs!

Then all the people came over, and we had a fun time celebrating the day I was born! We ate lots of food and had a good time visiting and playing.

My Aunt Bebe and Uncle Jason even came to the party via Skype.

Then you're not going to believe what happened! They put a silly hat on my head, blew out a candle, and then I got to eat a WHOLE CAKE all by myself! I wasn't sure what to do at first....

...but I figured it out!

My dog, Fischer, helped clean me up when I was finished. Boy, I was a mess!!!!!!!!!!

Then I got to open up my presents which turned out to be super cool toys that everybody brought for me to have for ever and ever. I couldn't believe how nice all those people were to bring me such fun stuff! I couldn't wait to play with all of it.

I gave all my friends little gifts for coming to my party too! They are called "Party Favors."

I'm so glad I have such good friends. Thank you, to everyone who came to my party and made it such a fun day!

That pretty much sums up my 12th month of life. I cannot believe I'm already a year old! I'm going to let mommy take back over her blog now - I'm sure she'll keep you posted on what is going on in my life. It's been fun telling you all about my first year. I hope every year of my life is just as exciting as this year was!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 12 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 26lbs. (97th+) & 32 in. (97th+)

- I'm sleeping 10-12 hours a night.

- I'm taking two naps a day (usually from 1 - 2 hours)

- I still have 6 teeth.

- I love climbing stairs - I'm working on learning how to go down stairs too!

- I walk holding on to my walker/chairs/edge of coffee table!

- I love to crawl through my tunnel.

- I love to look at and read books to myself, but I don't like other people reading to me.

- I know what "no" means, and I obey it most of the time.

- I am now saying, dada, dog, hey/hi and mama!!!

__________________________________________________________________________

(and since this post was so late...)

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 13 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I still have 7 teeth.

- When you say "Show me your teeth" - I smile a big ole cheesy grin! It is ADORABLE!

- I wave and say "hey" or "bye-bye" - not necessarily at the right times - and sometimes to sedentary objects.

- I've learned how to go up and DOWN stairs!

- I can climb up onto the couch!

- I took my first step, and I walk holding on to something with only one hand - I'm getting closer....I'm known as the "fast crawler" at church.

- I can sit down and stand up all by myself.

- Favorite snacks are fruit snacks and Go-gurt.

- I can clap! I love to sing, "If you're happy and you know it clap your hands."

- I imitate sounds my parents make - and it's funny!

- I love to hit a t-ball with my bat.

- I can maneuver the animals in my toy barn through the holes in the rooftop.

- I love to look at and read books to myself, but I still don't like other people reading to me.

- I point to everything!!! Especially cars, boats, planes....pretty much any mode of transportation.

- I know what "no" means, and I obey it most of the time.

- I "talk" pretty much non-stop!

- I am now saying, dada, dog, hi/hey, mama, bubu (bubbles), and bye-bye along with hundreds of untranslatable words.

He's O.N.E.

2011-07-20T08:29:00.007-05:00

Oh, my how this year has flown by! I cannot believe my precious baby boy has been in our lives for a year already. It seems like just yesterday that I was sitting down to write Our Birth Story! I cannot write much this morning, well, because I have a one year old who wants to play with me :-) So let me just say this,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, CARTER!!!!

Here are a few of my most precious memories of one year ago today!

The first time I held you!

The first time Daddy held you!

Spending time with you.

Now you're all grown up - at least as grown up as you could get in one year :-)

We love you more and more each day. We are so very thankful that the Lord chose us to be your parents. You bring so much joy and happiness into our lives, and for that we are thankful!

If the Shirt Fits...

2011-07-07T15:29:00.005-05:00

In celebration of our nation's birthday, I made Carter a cute little shirt to wear on this past Monday - the 4th of July!

Well, it turns out that if you make a toddler a shirt that says "Little Firecracker," you shouldn't expect him to sit still long enough for mommy to take his picture in it :-)

This was the best I got...

We had a Happy 4th of July though, and I hope you did too!

Leavin' on a Jet Plane

2011-07-01T09:52:00.006-05:00

Well, we're headed to Seattle today...please pray for our plane flight. Kevin and I are pretty nervous because as you might guess - the little guy doesn't like to sit still much less sit in our laps for one 2 hour and one 5 hour plane ride!

This could be interesting.....

On another note, we cannot WAIT to see Aunt Bebe and Uncle Jason tonight!!!!!!!!!

Returning to blogging....

2011-06-30T11:19:00.001-05:00

I just wanted to let you all know that over the past 11 months (almost year), I have let Carter tell the story of our lives in (basically) 1 very large post per month. Well, with his first year coming to a close, I've decided to go back to the small here and there posts, so hopefully you'll see more posts all along! That's the plan at least! In the mean time....here's a little bit of what I've been up to lately...

Me and my boys are headed to Seattle, WA tomorrow to visit my sister and her hubby! We'll be back with more next week - Happy Friday!!!

My 11th Month

2011-06-30T10:46:00.006-05:00

Hey Everybody!!

It's me again - Carter!!! I'm in my 11th month of blogging which means after this one, I'm only writing one more and then I'm outta here! Do you know why? It's because after I turn the big O.N.E...I'll be much too busy to blog. I'm going to hand it back over to mommy at that point. Oh, and she said that she wanted me to tell you guys that she's gonna write much shorter blogs than I do....you know one here, one there, etc... PS. It's because she's not as patient as I am - she'd say it's because "she doesn't have enough time to write these long blogs!"

Enough of all that blog business - I figure you're reading this because you want to hear about my 11th month of life, so here you go...

It started out completely AWESOME! I went on my very first boat ride! My Uncle Tyler (who is almost as cool as daddy) took us out on his boat to ski, surf, and wakeboard. I'm going to be just like Daddy when I grow up - he's pretty much the coolest dad ever - he didn't even cry when he fell!!!

My Aunt Anna Kat came to stay with us for a whole week. We went to the pool, splashed on the porch, and hung out. She's my youngest aunt, so she understands how to be cool!

Then mommy and daddy took me to the beach again!!! That makes 2 times in one year - I think that means I'm a beach bum!

Here I am last trip -

Here I am this trip -

It was so much fun, and Grandmama came too! I didn't eat any sand because sand is not food! I did love throwing the sand though!!! We built sandcastles, we dug big huge holes, I climbed over sand mountains, and I even did my first SWIMMING! That's right people - I put some floaties on and actually swam. I know your mouth is hanging open right now because you are probably in shock - if so, you might want to close it before you start to drool - I should know. Here's a picture and a video (AKA: proof) of me swimming.

When we got home, mommy got a call from Nana - she was coming to stay with us!!! We had a lot of fun together. We went to a playgroup at the park, went to listen to some music in the park, went swimming and ate watermelon by the pool, and went to the playground together too!

The day after Nana left, VBS started. Mommy says that stands for Vacation Bible School, but after a week of VBS, I would say that I think it stands for Very Bad Schedule because I didn't get ANY morning naps that week - what's up with that?!?! It was ok though because I was helping the teachers look after all the babies in the nursery.

We needed about a week or two to recoup after VBS, and during those weeks Mommy and I did some gardening. I help mommy pull weeds and water plants with a hose! It makes me very thirsty and tired.

Then we had to get ready for Father's Day weekend. I had to think of something to give my daddy that we could pack up and take to Auburn with us because that's where we spent Father's Day. I gave my daddy some cards that I made and a certificate for 2 rounds of golf! He loved it, and he can't wait to go play! That weekend we got to see all my Grandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Cousins

and even my Mawmaw and Pawpaw on my Daddy's side of the family. We had a great time with family. Here's all the Daddy's andme on my Daddy's side of the family! That's 4 Generations of Watts men - that's right - I'm a MAN!

We all went out to Aunt Julie and Uncle Tim's house, so that I could check it all out before they moved in - I approve! It's s a farm and they are gonna have horses. Maybe I'll get to ride one one day!

Then we got to see my Grandparents, and my Aunt Anna Kat on my mommy's side of the family. My Granddaddy and Grandmama have 100 blueberry bushes, and we picked 2 gallons of blueberries while we were there! Then, wewere so hot that we had to go down to Grandmama's spring to cool off, and I caught a beetle while we were there!

I don't think there's any way we could have squeezed anymore into this month of my life! It was super busy, and super fun! I even started walking around the house some by pushing furniture around.

I'll be back next month, and I can't wait to tell you about my 12th month, and then guess what?!?!?

I'll be the big O.N.E. !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PS. Mommy's already planning my party, but don't tell her that I know about it!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 11 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 23.5 lbs. (75th+) & 31 in. (90th+)

- I'm sleeping 10-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking two naps a day (anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours)

- I still have 6 teeth

- I always respond to my name.

- I climb/try to climb on EVERYTHING!!!! Mommy, Daddy, the stairs, chairs, tables, the hearth, my toys, window sills, the refrigerator when open, cabinets, the dishwasher, drawers.....

- I walk holding on to furniture....my favorite thing to do is to push chairs across the kitchen floor!

- I use both my hands, but I've been favoring my right had this month.

- I love to play throw/catch with a ball!

- I will sit still long enough for mommy to read maybe 1 book - if she's lucky.

- I know what "no" means, and I obey it, but I let you know how disappointed I am that you said it by crying.

- I am now saying, "dada" and "dog" - I like to pronounce it DaaaawwwwwG. When mommy asks me to say "mama," I say "dog." Mommy thinks she may have heard me say "thank you" and "done" and "hot dog," but I like to keep them guessing as to whether I can actually say those words or not!

We've Been Featured!

2011-06-14T10:14:00.006-05:00

Hey Everyone! Carter and I have been featured on the blog Creations by Michie!!! Click the link to check it out. This blog is written by my friend's mother. She creates/sells patterns and teaches sewing here in Huntsville. Anna, her daughter, and I were the "Guinea Pigs" for her new Jon Jon pattern. As you can see - it turned out wonderfully both times I have made it, and I'm currently working on Carter's birthday outfit, and guess what it's going to be? Yep - a Jon Jon; however, it's not going to be smocked this time. Thanks to my friend Anna, and my new (WONDERFUL) sewing machine (the Brother SE-400) - I'm addicted!

10 Months In Pictures!

2011-06-07T16:19:00.005-05:00

I'm beginning to plan my little boy's 1st birthday part (I CANNOT BELIEVE I'M TYPING THOSE WORDS!!!!!!), and I'm getting a little bit emotional thinking about the short but long 10+ months he's been in our lives! It's pretty amazing to think that it's only been 10 months since the most precious baby in my life was born!!! I love him more and more everyday - even though he becomes more and more a little boy and less and less a baby with every new day!

My 10th Month

2011-05-20T09:56:00.002-05:00

Wow - I can't believe we are in double digit months now! It won't be long before I am the big 1!!!

7 days after I turned 10 months old, a bunch of tornadoes came through our town and tried to eat me up! Mommy, Daddy, and I had to get in the closet and stay there for hours and hours!! When the tornadoes went away, we saw that they knocked down the tree that we were gonna hang a swing in.....I guess I need to find a new place to hang a swing now!

Mommy and Daddy went to go help people who lost everything - like these people.

They said I was too little to help, so I stayed at home and played. I had to play during the daytime though because it was very dark at night. We didn't have any power for 5 days. Mommy had to throw away all our food in the freezer and fridge, and we burned candles every night so that we could see.

The power came back on eventually, and then Daddy and I had to get ready for Mother's Day. We made mommy some special cards, and we surprised her by giving her some plants for the patio. She didn't expect it at all, and she was so excited! I love my mommy so much!!!!

I went on my first bike ride this month!!! I have to admit that it puts me in a trance every time I go. I just sit back, relax, and let the wind blow on my face. I get so relaxed that I forget to smile or move or anything! Mommy had to shake me a little bit to make sure that I was ok! Riding a bike is pretty much the most relaxing thing I've ever done, and if I stay out too long, I fall asleep - every single time! I think my helmet makes my head look like a watermelon.

Speaking of watermelon....the pool opened up, and we have been swimming this month! I am very serious when I swim because I need to make sure that I don't drown! I don't really smile too much, but mommy and daddy know that I like it because I don't cry either.

I've gotten to see lots of aunts and uncles as well as both sets of grandparents this month! It's always super fun to get all their attention! I just love all the fun stuff we do when family is in town!!!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 10 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 23.5 lbs. (90th+) & 31 in. (97th+)!

- I'm sleeping 10-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking two naps a day (anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours)

- I have 6 teeth now and still drooling - some days more than others!

- I know my name.

- I love to wave "hello" and "bye-bye"

- I pull up on everything, and I try to climb it if possible!

- I plop down on my booty to sit down.

- I drink juice from a sippy cup.

- My favorite snacks are goldfish and raisins!

- I use both my hands, so it's still anybody's guess if I'm a righty or lefty!

- I LOVE to be outside!!!! Walks, Bike Rides, Sitting on the Porch - you name it, I'm there!!!

- I have figured out how to escape from my toy room because I'm that good!

- I love to turn pages in books and flip all the flip-up books!

- I know what "no, no" means, and I obey it pretty regularly.

- I am now saying, "dada" and "dog" - I like to pronounce it DaaaawwwwwG.

*I do not say "mama" yet....she's always there, so I don't need to know how to say her name...daddy said it's because I say things in order of importance...*

Grocery Store Plight

2011-05-19T15:46:00.003-05:00

This pretty much sums up what happened to me today....

Well actually, my buggy was basically empty because I was able to get less than half of the groceries on my list, then I checked out and went home to put my screaming baby to bed.

We have now entered the phase of life where we are strictly bound to our house by nap time....the thought of going anywhere during the hours of 9am - 11:30am and 2pm-4:30pm has (as of today) been outlawed in this house.

Glad I got a sewing machine!!!

PS. I can't post pictures of anything I've made yet because I have been making gifts!!!! After I give them to the respective recipients, I will post :-)

My 9th Month

2011-04-29T11:27:00.000-05:00

Ok you guys, I know that I've been 9 months old for a while now. I know you're dying to hear about me, but the reason that I haven't posted my 9 month post is that I almost got eaten up by a tornado!!!! Life here has been crazy, and mommy's been a computer hog since our power came back on...more on that later. Without further ado....my 9 month post!

My mom and dad got a playpen for me....I call it Baby Jail. It's fun though - it's got all my toys in there. I've learned how to play by myself, and I can always pull up on it and chew on it as much as I please. All in all, it's not a bad deal!

At the very beginning of my 9th month, I had a close call with an ear infection. We caught some fluid on my ear right before it got to be bad news. I was still grumpy for a little while because being sick is no fun! Then, 7 days after I turned 8 months, 2 more teeth came in - I'm up to 6 whole teeth now!!!

A big thing this month was learning about my tongue. Boy can I make some noise now - I click my tongue all the time!!! It's so much fun. I crawl around the house making lots of noise, so that my mommy always knows where I am. I also learned how to stick out my tongue and make lots of faces. People think I'm hilarious when I do that. Grandmama said that it's rude sometimes if I do that when I'm not supposed to - I guess I'll have to learn manners next. Until then, I'm just going to make as many faces as possible!

Another way that I've found to make noise is to play with all the door stoppers in the house. They are really loud when you pull them back and let them go! I could do this over and over again - and never get tired!

I'm learning how to be a dirty little boy and get into lots of stuff. I chase ants, splash in Fischer's dog bowl, knock over stuff in mommy's pantry, pull up on the toilets when she's not looking, splash in the watering can, and tons more!

I'm going to be a handful, and I'm trying to give mommy hints on when she needs to watch me - ALL THE TIME! She's learning though - that's why we have baby jail. She doesn't know that I think it's fun too though - don't tell her I think so!

This month we go to spend some time at Lake Wedowee with all 4 of my grandparents, 4 of my great-grandparents, my aunt, uncle, and my cousins too! We had a lot of fun hanging out and celebrating Nana's birthday. I'm pretty sure she's still younger than Daddy is though because she's a lot shorter.

My cousin Layla gave me lots of hugs.

My cousin Aubrey and I played and played!

Then they made us dress up and TRIED to take pictures of us.....aren't we cute?

That weekend I got to ride in the backpack for the first time, and I loved it. I'm king of the world up there....and I can do anything I want to the back of daddy's head.

I also got to take a bath with cousins....mommy said there's a very short period of time in my life when I'll get to do that - I wonder what that means?!?

I mastered crawling, and I've moved on to pulling up on everything - and by everything, I mean EVERYTHING - chairs, toilets, tables, legs, hearths, couches, stairs, baby jail, cabinets, window sills, fire pits etc....

Mommy had to hurry and babyproof a lot of things so that I wouldn't get hurt. She did a pretty good job. I whack myself everynow and then, but I'm getting really tough - like my Daddy.

This month was mommy and daddy's 5th anniversary, my Mommy's Birthday, and Easter - we've been busy folks!!! My parents left me with some babysitters for their anniversary date, so I'm sorry to report that I'm not sure how an anniversary date goes down, but I sure did have fun with Mrs. Bethanie and Mr. Kevin!!!! Then on mommy's birthday, I got to play with them again! Mommy loves me, but sometimes I'm a handful and she likes to just go on a date with my daddy. That's ok because I'd rather play than sit in a restaurant anyways!!! Mommy made my first Easter outfit with her friend Mrs. Anna. It's a sissy outfit, but I wore it and drooled all over it proudly because she worked so hard on it.

She liked making that outfit with Mrs. Anna so much that she decided to get a sewing machine for her birthday! That was a little dissapointing to me because she didn't get to open any presents - it just "came in" one day.....booooooooo!

I went to my first Easter Egg hunt. I wasn't sure if other kids were going to steal the eggs out of my basket, so I slobbered on every one of them before I put them in there...I was sure this would protect my property.

Daddy taught me how to crack an egg too - right over another person's head. That's my friend Graham - he's a good sport.

I also met the Easter Bunny, and let me tell you - he is HILARIOUS!!!!!!

His eyes were falling out though - he must have very poor vision!

That pretty much fills you in on my 9th month. It was a busy one, but all that fun makes me sleep really well at night!!!

After I turned 9 months old, the tornadoes hit our town. That was pretty crazy, but you'll have to wait to hear more about that in my next month's update. I'll try to be more on time for that one!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 9 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 23 lbs 4 oz. (90th+) & 31 in. (97th+)!

- I'm sleeping 10-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking two naps a day (anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours)

- I have 6 teeth now and my drool is slowing down a little bit!!!!

- I respond to my name (most of the time:-)

- I am a master crawler.

- I pull up on everything.

- I drink juice from a sippy cup.

- I am now eating "real people food." Pretty much anything and everything that is cut up small enough for me to chew!!!!

- I can pick things up with my thumb and finger.

- I love to play with all my toys in my playroom. I especially like to stand at my music activity table.

- I am starting to be interested in books (again).

- I really like to swing.

- I know what "no, no" means.

- My first words were "dada" and "ga" (referring to Fischer)

My 8th Month

2011-03-30T11:12:00.000-05:00

To all my faithful readers who have been checking by this blog for about 2 weeks now, I am sorry. You see, I have recently been sick and teething. You may ask, "Why can't you blog and teethe at the same time?" Well, mommy has hid the computer from me because she thinks I will drool all over it with my sick germs and kill it. I found it though, and she's finally taking a nap, so I finally have a minute to update you on my 8th month of life! Here's my birthday picture...

As I told you above, I am teething. Man, I don't know how many teeth I will eventually end up having, but I'm convinced that I am part shark and that my mouth is going to end up looking like this...

At my 8 month birthday, I had 4 teeth! I actually currently already have even more than that, but you'll have to wait until my 9th month blog post to hear about those babies!!! Teething is pretty terrible. It hurts because it feels like little knives are poking at my gums all the time. It makes me want to chew on everyone and everything at all times. I drool constantly, but I don't have enough teeth to keep the drool in my mouth, so it falls right out of my mouth all the time. I soak all my bibs and clothes. Fischer helps me out though. He likes to lick up my drool strings before they hit the floor. It's a new game in our house - mommy hates that game. Oh well, they say it won't last forever....I hope they are right!

To take my mind off of teething, mommy and daddy took me to the circus!

It was so much fun! I saw Tigers, Elephants, Horses, Crazy Bendy People, Flying People, and all sorts of other fantastically colorful things! I couldn't take my eyes off of it all.

When I grow up, I'm going to be a Circus Tiger.

I went to my very first Birthday party. The party wasn't for me of course - I'm only 8 months old. It was for Brooklyn - the very first kid I ever met! Here's Brooklyn and me when we first met - she was 4 months old and I was 2 days old....

Here we are at her 1st Birthday Party! Those other people are our mommies.

Birthday parties are pretty cool. A bunch of people get together and give you cake and presents on the day you were born. All you have to do is be born and then hang out for 364 more days! It's really not a bad deal. I think it's really mommy and daddy throwing a party that they figured out how to keep us alive for a whole year! I am pretty excited about getting to eat some cake at my first birthday - daddy says it's yummy! Brooklyn seemed to like her cake!

Mommy and Grandmama took me on a trip to see my Aunt Bebe. She lives in Washington state. Here I am on my very first airplane ride!

I was a little nervous, but I decided that I really like to fly. On the way to Washington, I slept on the floor of the plane most of the way there - it was the middle of the night. On the way back, I was awake almost the whole time though. Why sleep when you can get constant attention, and you also get to look out the window!?!?

We had a lot of fun visiting and sightseeing. We were there for a WHOLE WEEK!

Here we are in front of Mt. Rainier...it looks like the clouds...

Here we are in Olympia - the capital of Washington.

Here we are in front of the Freemont Troll....he was under a bridge in Seattle and totally awesome!

Here I am at the Japanese Gardens...

And here's a pic of me and the Space Needle...I was pretty tired by this point!

Mommy hasn't always lived with Daddy. When she was in college, she lived with Mrs. Sarah. Mommy and I got to hang out with Mrs. Sarah and her twins while we were in Seattle. Mommy and Mrs. Sarah hadn't seen each other in 5 years!!! That's a whole kindergartener!!!!!!

NEWS FLASH: I STARTED CRAWLING THIS MONTH!!!!

*Side note: I still cannot roll from my back to my stomach.

My daddy saw me crawl first on March 8th, but I got REALLY good at crawling while we were in Seattle - I practiced a lot so that I'd be a pro by the time I got home to see my daddy - I really missed him while we were gone!

Here are some things I'm a pro at now:

Holding a sippy cup.

Looking out of windows.

and CRAWLING!!!

Like my outfit? Here's the front...

Well, I think that's all my news for now. Gotta go find a towel to wipe all this drool off the keyboard before Mommy finds out! See you next month!!!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 8 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 22 lbs (90th+) & 30 in. (97th+)!

- I'm sleeping 9-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking about two naps a day (anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours)

- I have 4 teeth now and TONS of DROOL!!!!

- I respond to my name (most of the time:-)

- I AM FINALLY MOBILE!!!! Crawling is AWESOME, and I can get into anything and everything!!!!

- I can pick up/hold my sippy cup by myself whenever I want a drink!

- I love to throw any ball back and forth and play with all my fun toys.

- I love to look out of windows - especially ones I can pull up on!

My Reason for Not Posting....

2011-03-28T12:03:00.004-05:00

Hey Everyone (cough, cough - sniff, sniff),

I know I'm overdue for my 8 month post, but the truth is that I am sick, and I can't seem to get to the computer to post, so here's a picture to hold you all over until I do my birthday post!

Mr. Sniffles (AKA: Carter)

My 7th Month

2011-02-20T11:44:00.016-06:00

Hey Y'all!

That's right, I'm a good ole' southern boy and I know it. I'm back to fill you in on my seventh month of life! It's been busy.

It all started on my very first Ski Trip. Daddy, Mommy, and me drove for my entire life up to West Virginia to a place called Winterplace. Boy was it a Wintery Place!!! There was snow everywhere. Nana and Papa J were there when we got there - I'm not sure how they got there though - they must know how to drive like Daddy. I was pretty excited about going skiing for the first time! I'm pretty sure I'll win a gold medal in the Winter Olympics - that's how good I was!

I hung out in the cabin with my Nana most of the time. I didn't want to show the parents up too badly. It was such a fun trip!

When we got home from the ski trip, we had a few weeks of rest, and then everybody started to go crazy about THE wedding - you know, Aunt Bebe's wedding, the one mommy blogged about HERE. Mommy and I went down early to help Aunt Bebe getting packed up for her move to Washington state. I'm pretty bummed that she doesn't live close by anymore, but I'm pretty sure I'll visit her in her new, cool hometown! I might actually get to fly on a plane to get to her!!!!

I honestly don't remember too much about the wedding. Daddy took me to play with my cousins all day long,

then I went to the church nursery to play with complete strangers, then they took me to a really big party called "The Reception." It was really crowded and a bunch of people that I didn't know were getting all up in my face, so I decided to go to sleep - on a table! Aunt Bebe knew that I wanted to stay awake though - it's the thought that counts, right?

Everyone said it was a beautiful wedding, and mommy and daddy sure seemed to have fun!!!

I'm just glad that it means we've got another dude in the family, and Aunt BeBe's name makes sense now - Beka Bruner!!!

Ever since the wedding, the weather has been beautiful! Daddy, Mommy, and me have been doing tons of really fun stuff. We took Fischer to the dog park one day, and they have a great playground there too! I got to swing in a big kid swing!!!! I wasn't sure what to think at first,

but I decided that I LOVE TO SWING!!!!!!

That Sunday, after church, we went to Monte Sano State Park. We took a picnic and then went hiking, and we had a blast!!!

I was really awake in these next two pictures, I was just pretending to sleep...

My Daddy is the greatest!!!

I saw my first waterfall - it was pretty amazing!!!

I think I'm really gonna like the warmer weather! Mommy and Daddy do really fun stuff when it's pretty outside.

Some of my friends are crawling now. This is Ella Grace. She's 2 weeks older than I am. She was crawling over me in this picture - it's our version of leap frog. She's getting a head start on me as far as crawling goes, but I'm just giving her a head start because she's a girl - Mommy says that means I'm a gentleman.

Actually, I've decided to master each step before actually crawling - rather than going ahead and crawling, but only being mediocre at it. I also think the Parents may need a little more time - they don't seem like they would be able to keep up with me! Last month I mastered getting on my hands and knees. This month, I have mastered going from a crawling position to a sitting position. This skill will be much needed when I begin to crawl. It will help me rest, or as you will see in my step by step instructional pictures below, it will help me be able to chew on whatever I capture. Notice my concentration level.

You start on your hands and knees:

Then you stick one foot out - it does not matter which:

You push yourself backwards onto the bent leg:

Then you sit up. WARNING: There is a danger of falling backwards during this step if you do not balance just perfectly! Be careful. At this time, feel free to chew on whatever you can reach!

I graduated from my baby bathtub to a big kid bath tub this month! My Uncle Rob gave me the coolest big kid bathtub ever - it's a duck....and it really quacks too! Check me out....

After bathtime, I transform into a dragon...

I've started looking at the world differently...I prefer sideways! Everything looks so different when I turn my head - it's so cool!

Well, I think that's about it for now - here's one more cute picture of my adorable face :-)

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 7 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 20 lbs 5 oz (97th+) & 30 in. (97th+)!

- I'm sleeping 9-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking about two naps a day (anywhere from 1.5 - 3 hours)

- I sit up all by myself!

- I still have 2 teeth.

- I respond to my name (about half the time:-)

- I love to grab hands and pull myself into a standing position.

- I bounce up and down when I'm held in a standing position.

- I can get up on my hands an knees - and sometimes even my hands and feet!

- I can hold myself up with one hand when I'm laying on my stomach.

- I can go from my crawling position to sitting up by myself.

- I turn my head sideways to look at things and people.

- I call Fischer by saying "Uh! Uh!"

- I love Ride-a-little-Horsey!

- My depth perception is getting better. I am better able to grab onto whatever I want!

- I transfer things from one hand to the other - I especially love balls.

- I'm eating snacks now! I like my peach puffs and yogurt puffs even though I get a little choked on them from time to time. I also drink juices out of a sippy cup now - yummy!!!

- I love to bang my hands on my highchair - and anything else for that matter!

- I'm trying to learn how to hold my bottle and sippy cup, but it's going to take some time.

- I still love chewing on my feet! Mommy and I have a game - she puts socks on my feet, and I take them off!

- I still talk and sing to myself when I wake up to let mommy and daddy know that I'm awake.

See you next month - I'm out!!!

She's Getting Married

2011-02-11T10:10:00.011-06:00

I don't know where the time has gone. It seems like just yesterday that we were playing in our playhouse, wearing matching Easter outfits,

playing with babydolls, curling our hair, painting our fingernails, watching our favorite movies, telling each other secrets, going on youth trips, driving to college...

I don't know when we grew up - it seemed to happen so fast - too fast. I'm a wife and mommy - tomorrow you'll be a bride. I love you with all of my heart - a sister's heart. You're going to make a beautiful bride. I cannot wait to watch you walk down the aisle, to see the look on your sweet face as you look into the eyes of your groom - your handsome Lieutenant. I'm going to cry tears of joy because words cannot describe how very happy I am for you on this your wedding weekend.

"Who Gives This Woman?"

Exchanging of Rings

"You May Now Kiss Your Bride"

"I Now Pronounce you Man and Wife"

I cannot wait to hug your neck, my new sister, Mrs. Jason Bruner.

May the Lord Richly Bless

Your Wedding,

Your Marriage,

Your Happily Ever After!

A Time of Need

2011-02-07T09:50:00.005-06:00

I was discouraged yesterday...really discouraged, and God spoke these verses to my heart. I thought I'd share them with you!

What a friend we have in Jesus, 
all our sins and griefs to bear! 
What a privilege to carry 
everything to God in prayer! 
O what peace we often forfeit,
O what needless pain we bear, 
all because we do not carry 
everything to God in prayer. 

Have we trials and temptations?
Is there trouble anywhere?
We should never be discouraged; 
take it to the Lord in prayer. 
Can we find a friend so faithful 
who will all our sorrows share? 
Jesus knows our every weakness; 
take it to the Lord in prayer. 

Are we weak and heavy laden,  
cumbered with a load of care? 
Precious Savior, still our refuge; 
take it to the Lord in prayer. 
Do thy friends despise, forsake thee? 
Take it to the Lord in prayer! 
In his arms he'll take and shield thee; 
thou wilt find a solace there.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

Galatians 6:9

My 6th Month

2011-01-20T11:00:00.014-06:00

Hey Everybody,

I'm here, and I'm half a year old - that's right 6 months!!! Let me tell you about this past month!

I already told you about Christmas even though that was "technically" part of this month, so let's pick up where we left off - New Years! I'll tell you the truth, I have no memory of it. I was so exhausted from all the craziness of Christmas that I fell asleep early that night. Mommy and Daddy had guests over, but I never even saw them. I fell asleep before they came and didn't wake up until 2011!!! Oh well - I've got plenty of years left to party it up on New Year's Eve :-)

Have I told you about my teeth? I have 2 of them, and you can really see them now! Take a look...

My Aunt Bebe is getting married in February, so we had to drive down to Auburn, so mommy could give her some showers...I guess she must have been really dirty because they took a long time. She looked pretty clean to me though - confusing!!! Anyways, when we were driving home from the showers, the Winter Storm of 2011 hit! Daddy could barely see to drive!

It was crazy! My daddy is super brave to be able to drive in the snow - mommy can barely walk in the snow, much less drive! We couldn't make it home though because it wasn't safe to keep driving, so we stayed in a hotel that night in Decatur. Fischer had to sleep in the car because the hotel wouldn't let him in....sad! When we got home the next morning, this is what our house looked like! It was completely covered in more than 8 inches of snow!

So, of course, we made a snowman...

I think he looked a lot like me...

...and mommy, daddy, and Fischer made snow angels...

I tried to make a snow angel, but I'm not heavy enough yet, so I just gave them a thumbs up instead!

I'm beginning to think that mommy and daddy aren't telling the truth when they say that it never snows this much!

Mommy decided she needed to cut my hair - just when I was really starting to look like Justin Bieber - bummer!

I didn't mind too much because I got to eat a sweet potato popcycle while she worked! Yummy!!!!

I decided I didn't love haircuts after my popcycle was gone and hair was stuck onto my face with sticky sweet potato glue!

It wasn't so bad though, and I look pretty handsome if I do say so myself - and I just did :-)

My favorite thing in the world is now my jumperoo! It is AWESOME!!! I am training to be a famous basketball player, and daddy said that I need to know how to jump really high. When I first figured out how to jump, I practiced so much that I gave myself a blister on my toe. No pain, no gain - that's what I say! My hair looks pretty awesome when I'm jumping too, I think.

I love to eat. My favorite thing to eat is popcycles (with the mesh feeder). Mommy gave me a banana in there first, but then she figured out that it took about an hour to clean all the little holes in the feeder, so I don't get that treat anymore. Now she puts frozen sweet potatoes in there, and I like that just as much! I like the coldness on my gums, and you can't get anything more yummy than a sweet potato!

My other favorite snack are my feet and toes. I don't actually EAT my feet, because that would be painful. I chew on them, and that is yummy!

I can now use my floppy to sit in highchairs and shopping carts, and that is so great! Restaurants and stores are so much more interesting, now that I can actually look around. I talk to everyone in the stores as we pass by - they need to know who I am if I'm going to be a famous basketball player one day!

I am getting ready to start moving around so that mommy can chase me! I'm getting up on my hands and knees and rocking back and forth. I thought she may need some type of warning that I'll be crawling soon since I'm her first kid - I wouldn't want her to lose me or anything!

Well, I need to go warm up for my volleyball game tonight. That's right, I'm a master of all sports - just like my daddy! I'll check back in next month - I am skiing and to my first wedding - woohoo!!!!!!

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 6 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 19 lbs 12 oz (97th+) & 29 in. (97th+)

- I'm sleeping 8-11 hours a night.

- I'm taking about two naps a day (anywhere from 1 - 2.5 hours)

- I can get up on all fours and rock back and forth! I'll be crawling soon!

- I roll from my stomach to my back.

- I can sit up on my own for a couple seconds at a time.

- I stand and support all my weight when held.

- I lift up my head when you pull me up from laying on my back.

- I have 2 teeth and lots of drool!

- I still talk, scream, and laugh with anyone who will listen, but I especially love my parents!

- I smile as big as I can when my parents come in the room.

- I still love playing peek-a-boo and being tickled!

- I'm quick to look in the direction of any sound (cell phones ringing especially!)

- I grab at anything and everything and put it directly in my mouth! (My depth perception isn't that great though - I reach at things that are across the room - Go, Go, Gadget Arm!)

- I'm eating fruit, veggie baby foods and oatmeal - along with anythign else I can get my hands on!

- I love chewing on my feet! I have worked on my flexibility and can now get them in my mouth very easily!

- I love to see my reflection - I'm hilarious!

- I still talk and sing to myself when I wake up to let mommy and daddy know that I'm awake, and when they come to get me - I still smile as big as I can!!!

Oh, I almost forgot - my doctor said I am a big boy! I'm pretty sure that means I'm going to be a giant.