Living and Laughing

I've been on a mini-vacation this week! My mom took Carter for a WHOLE WEEK so that I could spend some one-on-one time with this precious boy! I've also been super productive during nap times doing all those things that are just impossible to get done with a toddler in the house!

Yes, this is an older video, but it seemed to fit :) He's actually 3 months old now, but I've been enjoying him too much to blog!

Couldn't you just eat him up? I have been! I've also been packing for the beach! We are leaving tonight to pick Carter up and head down to the gulf with Kevin's parents tomorrow morning. I couldn't be more excited - or more grateful for my boys' grandparents!!!

When Mommy is Busy With Miles...

Daddy teaches Carter things :-)

Boys will be boys! 

Play Time

Daddy
    - (n.) the best playmate ever

Making Movies

Confession: I'm a nerdy-techy at heart. 

I don't know how many of you saw that coming, but I actually love technology! Clarification: I love technology that WORKS CORRECTLY - don't get me started on fixing technological problems...all I can say about that is, "Put me on the phone with somebody who speaks English, please." So anyways, this year one of my "resolutions" was to get our home videos on DVD. We got a video camera last Christmas, and we'd been recording tons of cute footage for over a year, and I wanted a way for our family to watch it: 

1.) Easily

2.) On our TV

This is the part of the story that I'm actually very thankful that I have a Mac (up to this point it was an investment I wasn't sure was "worth" the extra $$$)...

First, I put our videos on our computer. Simple task - pretty much like putting pictures on a computer. 

Second, I edited the videos using iMovie. Thank you, Lord for Mac technology! 

This program makes it so easy to add text, backgrounds, transitions, etc to your movies. It's A LOT like creating a powerpoint - most of you have done that. I was also "trained" in a Technology for Education class in college how to use iMove - way back when! My good ole' Elementary Ed major came in handy there! 

After I had created my movies, I created a DVD menu using iDVD - again, thanks to Mac technology!

This program is my FAVORITE part of the whole process!!!!!!!!! Here's where you are remembering: I. am. a. nerd. :-) During this process, I get to pick out pictures to scroll across the screen and music to play to create my very own, custom, DVD Menu. You know what I'm talking about - the annoying menu that when you fall asleep plays over and over and over again 150 times until you wake up and realize that you have a cramp in your neck, you drooled on yourself, and you are REALLY TIRED OF THAT SONG! Here are some of the menus I have created for our family videos: 

This one plays a song called "Simple Phrases" by Carrie Jo - a local artist from Opelika, AL

This one plays "Little Boy Heart Alive" by Andrew Peterson, and YES, you can click on those selections at the bottom and watch videos from the respective months...I know - AWESOME!

This one plays "We Are FAMILY" by Sister Sledge

This one just has pretty classical music playing, and when you select "Beach Trip" it takes you to this screen: 

Which plays "Surfin' USA" by the Beach Boys of course :-)

...and if you click on "Carter's Various Skills" it takes you to this screen:

Which plays "I Get Around" by the Beach Boys - Ha!

If you can't tell, I have had a little too much fun with this, and Kevin would probably agree :-) It's fairly time consuming, but since I have taken the time to do this, we have actually sat around watching home videos for hours on several different occations, and it's pretty much our current life - ha! What a treasure these videos will be years from now! I certainly am not wishing the years away, but it's going to be so very fun to watch these in 10-15 years :-) 

Easter Egg Hunt

Today was our church's Easter Egg Hunt. Carter got into the hunt this year a lot more so than LAST YEAR. Last year all he wanted to do was put the eggs in his mouth.

This year he he was more into looking for / finding the hidden eggs, and then checking out what was inside! I know it has nothing to do with the real meaning of Easter, but I think it's a fun childhood tradition.

Waiting patiently for the hunt to begin!

Little Friends

Found one!

Here's the real live action...it takes him a minute to warm up to being on camera - just ignore my irritating coaxing - gotta love home videos :-)

Finding the Treats!

Chocolate!!!

Last year, Carter thought the Easter Bunny was the funniest thing ever! 

This year, Carter was not interested in having his picture made with the Easter Bunny - maybe it's because the Easter Bunny's eyes weren't falling off this year... I must say that our Easter Bunny's look has improved!

All he would do is shake his hand - a very gentlemanly greeting :-)

Happy Leap Year!

We've been learning to leap (jump) around here...a fun way to celebrate Carter's first leap year! We've also been learning to sing Row, Row, Row your boat :-) 

Happy Leap Year Everyone! 

It's Been Warm

Last week we had a few days of warmth - like 75 degrees warm. Such a welcome temperature in February! Needless to say, Carter and I spent a lot of time outside on those days. I gave C a pot of dirt, several other containers, and a little shovel and he went to town. He could have played in that dirt all day long. I think I'm just going to give up the idea of having a clean patio for a while though - oh well :-) He has fun!

19 Months Old

Carter turned 19 months last week. It's crazy all the things he started to do while he was 18 months old, so I thought it deserved an update, so here you go...

-He throws an ALL OUT PARTY when Dada gets home!

-He says "see?" when he wants to show me something.
-He loves to wear his "boos" (rain boots) and "shooos" (shoes).

-He calls Fischer "Sheesh(er)"

-He LOVES to feed Sheesher.

-He LOVES to go outside. He will run to the door and say "at-sigh" (outside).

-He turns on/off the tv...all the time.

-He pretends to talk on the phone using calculators, baby monitors, pretty much any rectangular shaped object.

-He watches home videos and loves to name people in them.

-He tries to look "into" or "around the corner of" the tv when he hears people he knows talking off screen.

-He counts "uh" "oo" "ee" (1, 2, 3).
-When he wants a snack he runs to the pantry and says "naaa" (snack)

-He says and points to "noe" (nose), "eee" (ear), "tee" (teeth/mouth), "haa" (hair), IIII (eye).

2 Quick Funny Stories: He was eating lunch, and I told him he was eating a pear, and he pointed to his head...he thought I said "hair." We were getting ready to read his Bible before his nap time. I asked him if he was ready to read about Moses, and he pointed to his nose and mine...he thought I said "noses."

-He can dunk his basketball and he cheers loudly for himself every time.

-He climbs into his highchair by himself - he CLIMBS ON EVERYTHING!

-He builds towers with big building blocks and proceeds to knock them down.

-He answers questions! - I asked him if he was finished and he shook his head and said "No." It's a little strange when you get a verbal answer for the first time :-)

-He shakes and nods head.

-He walks down the stairs by himself. Most of the time he holds onto the wall or spindels

-He is interested in puzzles now.

-His new song is Row Row Row Your Boat...he likes to sing the row row row part. He also likes to sing Justin Beiber's "Baby, Baby, Baby" song - thanks to Mrs. Bethanie :-)

-He does the hand motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider and the Wheels on the Bus

-He puts his hands together when we tell him it's time to pray ("praying hands" we call it).

-When he thinks things are "ha" (hot) he blows on the "shhhhhhh."

-He says and does the sign for "more" and he does the sign for "all done."

-We are trying to teach him that mommy has a baby brother in her belly. When you ask him where his baby brother his, he points at his belly now....not quite :-)

It's been so fun to watch him learn and grow. He is at such a fun age. Everyday is a brand new adventure!

If You're Happy and You Know It

My 11th Month

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!

Reflections on a Mother's Love

There really are not words to describe the love that enters your heart as you become a mommy for the first time. It is the strongest feeling and most powerful emotion that I've ever felt! I've tried to capture what this love looks and feels like in these few reflections on a mother's love:

I began to love our baby boy before I ever saw him! I begin to carve out a special place in my heart and home for this precious little one, long before I met him!

When I finally got to hold our baby in my arms, a completely overwhelming feeling of love filled every part of my heart! I could not help but weep when I held our baby boy in my arms for the very first time! I cried on and off for about 36 hours after he was born! Every time I thought about the precious gift of a child that God had given me, I was moved to tears.

For the days following his birth, I sat and watched our precious boy for hours on end. Even though he didn't do much of anything but sleep, I would just sit and watch him breathe - in awe of the miracle of birth and life!

When I became a mommy, all the little things I had worried that I would not know how to do came so naturally. I was filing little finger nails, giving baths, and changing diapers like a pro - even though I had not helped take care of a small baby in close to 20 years!

After you come home from the hospital, the family leaves, and the dust settles - a mommy gets to snuggle with her baby for hours on end - whenever she wants :-) This is my new favorite past time!

Even though the demands of becoming a mommy make me very tired - it was all so very worth it!!! I would do it all again, and again, and again!

Every time our little man looks up at me and smiles, my heart melts just a little more! And even though it's only been (almost) 3 weeks since his birth, I cannot imagine my life without him!!!

I have found that being a mommy is all about love, and I love being a mommy!

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On a lighter note, this video absolutely cracks me up (even though I find it sad that this little girl is already crying over a celebrity...). If you replace the name Justin Bieber with "Carter" and pretend that this little girl is a 27 year old....this is pretty much what I was like for about 36 hours after Carter was born :-) Every time I thought about how much I loved Carter - I couldn't help but cry!!!! I know that hormones had a lot to do with that, but this video pretty much sums it all up ;-)