Yummy!

Christmas is all about... eating!

Bows are the best!





The new doll from Grandma and Grandpa is yummy too!


Wrapping paper is not a favorite.

And the best part...she started eating real food three days before Christmas! She is a good little eater and swallows and opens her mouth faster than I can get it on the spoon. :-)

Thief!

Thief! Yesterday Mark (who was/is super kind and patient), Caroline and I ventured to the mall. Caroline (who is also super kind and patient) and I had been out running errands earlier in the day but we had a few last minute things to get. As Mark is getting Caroline out of the car, I was getting the stroller out. GASP! Sitting inside the folded head cover (is that what it's called) of the stroller is a brand new shirt that I stole accidently left the store with earlier in the day. I was completely caught off guard and embarrassed. I did share with Mark what I had done - a $50 shirt stolen! Eeeks! Of course, I am going to rectify the situation today. I'm hoping my many blog readers will hold me accountable, even though I don't think that will be needed because my husband is even more honest than me which does not even seem possible and I'm sure he will remind me a trillion times to take it back. :-)

All of this to say, that as I was telling Mark how embarrassed I was I realized this wasn't the first time that had happened in my life the past week! The other day I was shopping at Babies R Us and had Caroline in the car seat inside the cart. I pulled everything out of the cart to check out and then as we were headed to the car I noticed a measly little pair of baby socks that were still in the cart and not in the bag. I was not quite as honest as I should have been that day. I left the socks in the cart outside in the parking lot for someone else to steal! At least I have a clear conscience! The day before that I was shopping at Target. Same scenario: Caroline in the car seat inside the cart. As I was unpacking all my bags into the car I realized there was an entire box of diapers on the underneath of the cart that I did not pay for. I was honest this time and took them back inside and paid for them before leaving. I am tempted to feel bad for my crazy brain not realizing I had done all these things and for stealing! However, I am then reminded that there is a common denominator is all these stories....Caroline!! She is going to be grounded for Christmas - no presents for her!

Oh really?

The strangest compliment that I have heard several times recently about Caroline..."She has the prettiest head." or "The shape of her head is just perfect. She should not worry about growing hair and just stay bald." Umm... I hope she doesn't stay bald but I'm glad she has a pretty head. I'm just not sure that I would have ever thought of such a compliment. :-)

The Grinch

I think I might be turning into the Grinch. I don't want to be the Grinch and I'm not sure that I have officially turned into him but I may be getting close. The whole present thing is just too much.

1) There is the whole money issue. I won't even go into all those details. I've been spending too much!

2) Then there is the present itself. I have ideas of what I want to get for certain people. When I go to the store and can't find what I want I get so frustrated. Time is ticking away and I'm determined to still find the exact things that I want.

3) On the other side, I have those people on my list that I have no idea what to get. Their name comes to mind and question marks appear ???

3) Time - I decided that I wanted to make lots of homemade presents this year. It all started out so lovely but the chances of it happening are looking pretty slim. Once again the clock is ticking...

4) Caroline adds another issue. She is just getting one present, a build a bear from us (don't tell her). We just have to make it to the store... However, she has all of these wonderful nursery workers and babysitters. I want to buy something small for them. But what? We've all talked to those teachers who receive candles and jewelry and other things that they will never use. What do you do?

I'm just worn out from all the shopping and buying. I've told my family several times that I wish we didn't have to do it all but they don't seem to care. They just don't seem as stressed about it all as me. Maybe next year I'll do better.

Me the guitarist

I am sitting in seat 7D on my way back to Atlanta via Charlotte. I am listing to a band called Rage Against The Machine (RATM) and more specifically to the lead guitar player named Tom Morello. Tom has a very interesting style. He makes the guitar "talk" and squeal. His sound is very unique and if you're familiar with Tom and with his sound, you can pick it out very easily.

What impresses me is that Tom is identified by what he does and how he does it rather than by his own name or position. You can appreciate Tom's work without knowing who Tom is or without knowing who RATM is.

I want to be like that. I want people to know me by seeing what I do. I want people to see things I do and to think that those are things I would do.

Consistent? Maybe. I want to be someone people know because of how I treat them rather than by the title on my business cards. It would be so wonderful if Caroline saw my fingerprints in what I did for her.

Along that same path, I want people to see Christ through what I do. To see my Father through the fingerprint He's left in my life, or the style of my guitar playing.
-Mark 12-11-09
Sent from my Verizon Wireless BlackBerry

A new understanding

Caroline has been congested for weeks now but she has remained in good spirits. The stubborn cold will just not go away! The past few days a cough has been added to the mix. Fun times! I finally broke down and took her to the doctor. Of course, the doctor said there is really nothing we can do (which is why I never took her in the first place).

At the pediatrician's office there are two rooms. A "well" room and a "sick" room. In all of our previous visits we have been able to be in the well room. Today I was torn. I really didn't want to take my precious sweet baby into the sick room with all those sick kids. She doesn't belong with them. In fact she is better than them, even if she is sick. I even debated about taking her into the breastfeeding room and "feeding" her even though it wasn't time for her to eat. I eventually decided she must go to the sick room with the others. I was a little embarrassed for some reason and a little worried. In my previous visits there was a sense of pride or maybe just relief that I could take her into the well room.

As I was thinking about my silly feelings, I was reminded of the many accounts in Scripture of the "clean" and "unclean." I can only imagine what it must have felt like to be considered "unclean." The embarrassment and the lonliness. I just wanted to offer Caroline some grace by letting her be in the well room or at least the nursing room. :-) How wonderful it is to think of the grace that God offers us. Although we are all unclean, Jesus death on the cross allows us to be seen as clean before God! I'm thankful for God's grace and that I don't have be embarrassed before Him. I'm also thankful and surprised at my new understanding after a few minutes in the doctors office with Caroline.

Christmas Season

It's that time of year again....


This morning I did a little of this...


While Caroline did this...


and Mark helped with this...

Busy days but lots to be thankful for.

A+

Dr. Luk says that Caroline and her parents gets an A+. He is a funny little doctor and he always says that we get an A+. Caroline is a growing girl! She is 4.5 months old and weighs 16.5 lbs (90%) and is 26.75 in. long (97%). Her poor little head is lagging behind and only measures in the 75% tile. :-)

I'm not crazy about our pediatrician's office because the appointments take forever! However, I really like Dr. Luk. He is very straight forward about things and I like that. He told me that if Caroline wakes up in the middle of the night crying, check on her and see if she is ok and then go back to bed and let her fuss. It's nice to have a Dr to reassure me of such things! I have not really been uptight or stressed about anything in particular but he is very calm and lets me know there is nothing to worry about. I'm very thankful to have a happy, healthy little babe!

Santa Claus is coming to town!

Caroline visited Santa a little early this year...actually a couple of weeks ago...and I'm just now putting up the picture. She smiles with her tongue out just like her mama does in pictures. :-)

We did a little decorating around the house today. I can't wait to buy our tree and sit Caroline in front of it. I have high hopes that the lights and ornaments will distract her for hours minutes.

I hope to do a post about our Thanksgiving vacation soon but it looks like it's going to be a crazy week. We'll see...

Hilton Head!!!!

So this morning I find myself in Hilton Head, SC. We're growing fond of this touristy little island about 5 and a half hours from home. We're here with Brad and Lindsay and Ma and Vern, and the babies! We have a three-bedroom condo for the week and I've already been able to check a few things of my must-do list: see an alligator and eat ice-cream from this little ice-cream shop in the square. I can't wait for Caroline to tug on my pants leg to tell me what kind she wants. I can't wait until she spots a gator or until she's old enough to paint her own pottery (we did that too).

Thanksgiving is certainly a great week to come down here. The normal summer crowds are gone (we walked right in to the Sea Shack restaurant where we waited outside for 45 minutes in May). We were able to park right in front of the Art Cafe. You can't normally part within a few blocks of the square there.

So while the babies sleep, we read, watch a little TV, or sew (Nicole, not me this time). We'll be back on Saturday and will have a few less things on our minds!

Crafty

I have moved on to yet another new crafty, homemaker project. I asked Mark the other day if he thought that I was one of those people that started projects and didn't finish them. I have gone from cooking to knitting to sewing to bread baking and....my new goal... to become the next great smocker. Mark assured me that while I don't stick with a craft for long I always finish the initial project that I started. With a clear conscience I took a smocking class on Wednesday with my neighbors. I learned a couple of stitches and feel hopeful that I can get started on a project in the car on the way to Hilton Head this weekend.

After spending a couple hours learning to smock and then another hour with my neighbor watching over my shoulder and giving me tips I was feeling pretty comfortable. I showed Mark my masterpiece and he asked me to pass it over. I reluctantly handed the pleated piece, thread and needle to him. He took a quick glance and without a word of instruction from me, he duplicated what I had just done. Well, doesn't he know how to make me feel good? :-)

As always, I am truly amazed at my gifted husband and I'm sure I will be thankful when in a couple of days I come crying to him that I have messed up. He will reassure me and teach me how to get back on track all without being taught himself. He's so crafty. :-)

We're ready...

for the beach! We're going to be gone for all of Thanksgiving week! Yipeee!

Accessories

A girl has got to accessorize right? When I was working at Ann Taylor Loft they always told us that accessories make the outfit.


Caroline styling her new bow. I want to find some bigger ones!!




Caroline showing off the hat I made for her before she was born. I think I need to work on my hat style! Stripes seemed so cute and fun at the time but it's not as cute on! Don't worry little one, I'll try again soon! Maybe a really girly flower will do - Lauren?! :-)

Babies, babies everywhere

Just a few more pictures of cute babies. The other night Mark and I watched Kelsey so that Brad and Lindsay could go on a date. I was so surprised at how different they are. Even though we have spent a good bit of time with Kelsey I really noticed for the first time their differences. It's like their personalities are already starting to show. Who knows?!

This is a picture of Caroline and her friend Reagan from next door. Reagan's Mom, Grandma, Aunt and I are all taking a smocking class together on Wednesday. Hopefully, we will be able to make sweet dresses for our little princesses!

Yard Work

I might say that fall is my favorite season, except for it isn't. There is one reason I don't like the fall...leaves! I dread the fall at our house because of all the leaves we have to rake! They are piled high all across the yard. Today we went to church and raked and blew leaves for three hours and then came home and raked/blew leaves for another couple hours. Caroline didn't help much but her sweet smiles provided lots of encouragement!

The older we get...

the younger we act. Last night we had some couples from Sunday School over for game night. I only have two pictures from the evening and a couple of fun videos. We had a good time catching up with friends. We used to get together frequently but life seems to have gotten busy and it has occurred less often. We thought about getting a babysitter to watch the babies upstairs while the adults had fun downstairs. However, we ended up not having a babysitter and I'm glad. Both Kelsey and Caroline did great! We just set them in front of each other and they entertained themselves all night for two minutes. :-) Thankfully they both received lots of love from everyone there and they both slept for the majority of the night.

I thought I might post a video displaying our childish acts, which would explain the title/first sentence, but that may have to wait for another day.

Nicole the boxer

Mark is normally the analogy person but I was laying in bed thinking tonight and came up with one for myself at the moment. I think I am a boxer sometimes. I don't know much about boxing except for what I learned from watching Million Dollar Baby. I think I remember learning that boxers always have to keep their feet moving. When Mark is gone I have always got my feet, brain and much more moving. I have to keep everything together for myself and Caroline.

I also have my hands up in front of me to protect myself. I can't allow myself to show any weakness while Mark is away because I'm in charge. When Mark comes home from out of town (or after working 10 days in row, the last 4 of which were 14 hour days) I ask him to join me in the ring. Not to fight...just to join me in moving our feet, bouncing around trying to keep everything going. Can you wash the dishes? Can you hold Caroline while I do some work for the church? Mark gladly joins in and we work well together as a team.

The problem is that when we are both shuffling around there is no time for fun, laughter or relaxing. As I said we work great as a team but there is not the connection or intimacy (I'm not talking about just that) that a husband and wife should share. It then gets worse if Mark says something, anything really that doesn't sit quite right. I immediately throw a punch to keep him at a distance. The punch is not to hurt him. I'm not really angry with him at all. I realize that whatever he said is not really a big deal and is not really the problem. The punch is just a way to keep him at a distance, to continue protecting myself and to keep things going. I realize that the "punch" is not fair to Mark but I have a hard time letting my guard down when he gets home. I was trying to explain this to Mark tonight but I'm not sure I did a good job. I just kept telling him that I wanted him to come home and "be gentle" with me. In my boxing analogy I want him to be the one to bring me back to my corner and offer me some cool water. I want him to put a bandaid on any hurts from the days he has been gone, to give me a pep talk or rub my shoulders. The hard part is realizing that occassionally it would be ok to ask/hope that Mark would be that gentle and loving towards me. However, I need to learn to let my guard down more quickly without the extra help from Mark. I know that it makes our relationship more difficult the longer I put up the guard. I need to take it down the moment he comes home. The quicker I can relax, the more willing he is going to be to relax as well. The self defense is something I'm sure I learned long ago from when my Dad traveled so much. Although I recognize the problem and have since Mark and I have been married, I need continued prayers to let go.

"...just a mouth"

Today I was telling Mark what a good Dad he is to Caroline. "You're so sweet. You love her and play with her and kiss her. You always make her laugh and snuggle her..." Mark says, "Yeah, she probably thinks I'm just a mouth since I kiss her so much!"

I guess he has to get all the kisses he can while she will still let him. :-)

Perfection...

well almost, kind of, sort of, not. Another new lesson that I have learned since being a Mom - nothing is ever perfect or complete. I've heard older, wiser women talk about this before but it is a new reality. Before having Caroline, I could do whatever I wanted with my time. Nothing in our home was ever perfect. We almost always had clean laundry laying on our bedroom floor, there were dishes to be done and dust to be dusted. However, if I wanted my home to be "perfect" I always had the time to get it done, had I really wanted it done.

Since Caroline has arrived there seems to be less time. :-) I have a long to do list and it just keeps growing. I like to feel like I'm on the ball and I like to complete projects. As my faithful blog readers read in a recent post, I want to feel productive. However, it is just not happening these days and I have come to realize that I need to be OK with that.

Mark and I talk several times a week about how thankful we are for our family, friends, home, church, etc. Thankfulness has almost become part of our daily conversation because we both feel it so deeply. Sunday afternoon we were sitting around talking about what a great weekend we had and how we are so thankful. Our life seems "perfect" or almost. :-) However, I couldn't help but acknowledge that while I am so thankful there is still an unsettled piece of me. When I thought of why that might be I thought of the mess of clean laundry on our bedroom floor and the leaves out front that need to be raked and how it was such a beautiful day that I wanted to go out and play. There was still much to be done. Mark, being the sweet husband decided that we should take care of some of that. We went outside and started raking leaves. We raked and raked for about an hour and then realized we had to go. Lindsay and Brad had agreed to watch Caroline for us while we went on a date. Mark started putting the rakes away and I thought I might have a nervous breakdown (it really wasn't bad). We left 3 piles of leaves in our front yard, half the yard raked and clean and the other half still full of leaves! I couldn't believe that we weren't going to finish the project, that it wasn't going to be complete or "perfect." I decided I could go along with Mark since he didn't seem to care. We dropped Caroline off with Lindsay and had a great date night!! We came home and the leaves and laundry were still there but I had a calm heart. We had spent time together and had done our best. Mark definitely helped to reinforce a good lesson! In the mess and chaos of this world, my life is not going to be perfect or complete. There is always going to be work to do. I will always find something else to put on my list. However, I'm hoping with each passing day that I get better and better about getting the important things done first and that I don't worry about the rest.

Happy Halloween

Caroline says, "Quit stealing all my candy!"

I told Mark that I wanted to be productive today. I wanted to feel like I had accomplished something and we have! Today I made pumpkin bread and pizza dough for homemade pizza. I also finished a pillowcase dress for Caroline. It's a little big but as she gets bigger I'm hoping that I can make more of these. It was very easy!

Bath time

Tuesday we went over to Lindsay and Brad's house and carved our pumpkin. We enjoyed our time and the girls were very well behaved while we carved. Afterwards we decided to give them a bath together. They have both started taking baths in the tub with just an inch or two of water. Caroline loves it! She splahes around like crazy. I tell her that she is going to be an Olympic swimmer (this is me living all my long lost dreams through her)!

The picture below is not the best color/quality but their little faces are just too cute! Poor blog readers...I just can't resist taking pictures of them together. Two babies is just too much cuteness for me to handle. Everytime they get together I have to take pictures of them!!

Halloween Party

Last Saturday Caroline went to her first Halloween party. Noelle was so creative! The kids "went fishing", did a ring toss, played on the swing set, decorated cookies and ate lots of yummy treats (pumpkin cupcakes and ghost suckers). It was a fun time to see the kids in their costumes.


There were lots of sweet little kids...


but I think she was the sweetest one there!

Mark held her the whole time and she was so content and warm. She even took a little snooze in his arms.

Poor baby

Caroline woke up Sunday morning with a stuffed up nose. We stayed home from church Sunday because we didn't want to get the other babies in the nursery sick. We thought about letting her sit in Sunday School with us but she was snorting so much is would have been a distraction! She has held on to this cold everyday since. We have been suctioning all that we can out of her nose but it will not go away. She has remained pretty happy all week and has been sleeping pretty good overall...except for Wednesday night. She woke up at 2 AM and I went in to check on her. She was so stuffed up. The poor girl could barely breathe. Really the whole reason I'm writing all this is because it was the saddest, sweetest thing. I picked her up and she immediately snuggled right up to me and relaxed. I think one of the best things about being a Mom is feeling needed. She was so glad that I was there to love her and snuggle her. I could just feel her little body relax in my arms. Needless to say, she stayed with me the rest of the night. I love getting to take care of her!

Since she was up so much Wednesday night I tried to get off work Thursday but couldn't. Thankfully, Mark volunteered to stay home with her. He took great care of her and said she was an angel all day! It's so nice to be able to work together as a team and to see Mark being able to care for her too!

Christmas in October

Mark came home the other day and said, "Honey I got you a Christmas present and I want to give it to you now." I could tell he wasn't going to take no for answer so I opened up the bag and found a new video camera! It's very tiny and fancy (read: I have no idea how to use it). He told me he wanted me to be an expert on the camera and to video Caroline growing up. I'm not sure I will ever be a camera expert but I can video her growing up. I'm thankful for my sweet husband. I would have never thought to ask for a video camera but I know that it will be so much fun to watch video of her when she is all grown up!

Below is my first attempt at recording her and posting it online. I must say that I hate my voice on camera! I try so hard not to talk when it is on because it's so annoying...especially the baby talk voice. I'm sorry that you will have to suffer through it. As she ages I hope the videos get better and better - more of Caroline talking and less of me! :-)

Stylish Girl

I think Caroline's jeans are more stylish than any jeans that I own. She is so cute!

Mom Time

Caroline and I had a few friends over today. We had lunch together and talked about lots of fun things. It's neat to be able to share so many things with these friends. The small stuff, like all of our babies being sleepy at the same time, and the big stuff, questions about marriage, working, and more. I am so thankful for our time together and look forward to adding more Mom's and little munchkins to our group!

Aunt Lindsay being sweet!

After Katie and Ki left we took a couple pictures of Caroline and Kelsey in their matching outfits and then it was naptime!

Growing girl!

Our little girl is growing up too quickly. I keep telling Mark that I want her to stop growing and he keeps fussing at me for saying that but it's true! She is just so sweet and so much fun. I know it's going to get better and better but it just goes by so quickly. The funny thing about her growing up is that on the one hand I get excited when she does new things but then on the other hand I want her to slow down. Today I laid her on the ground next to some toys and she reached over, grabbed one that was close to her and pulled it on top of her!! Also today I put her in her little jumpy thing for the second time ever (the first time didn't go so hot) and she enjoyed it for a few minutes. She's only 3 months old! How can she like that thing already?!?

Slow down sista'!

Day Care

I was so reluctant to put Caroline in day care. Before Caroline had even arrived I told Mark that if we had to put Caroline in day care I would just quit my jobs and stay home. Thankfully, I have changed my mind. It is really good for me to get out of the house and interact with adults a couple of times a week. I still hate putting her in day care because I miss her so much but the ladies there are so sweet and I know she is getting great care. I also know that it will be good for her especially as she gets older. The older children there are constantly singing and reading. I'm sure she will learn things that I couldn't teach her myself! It's also worked out great because she goes to day care twice a week at the church where I work.

Today a couple of sweet things happened at day care. I normally drop her off and then don't see her again until I pick her up even though I am in the same building. However, today I passed by her room a couple of times and couldn't help but peek in. The first time I passed by she was zonked out in her crib. The second time I passed by they were getting ready to take the babies outside to "play"! I am such a cheesy Mom I couldn't resist taking a picture.

I wish Caroline could ride in the big stroller but apparently you have to be 6 months old. I think those big strollers are so funny! Random note...apparently I think bigger is better for babies - I am seriously considering buying Caroline one of those headbands with a humongous bow on it! I think they are terribly obnoxious because of their size but that makes them great, right?

Anyway, back to day care...I am thankful for them. Caroline seems very content there and I know the ladies care for her. One of the workers surprised me today by telling me every baby's birthday in the room, even Caroline's! Surely she loves them since she knows all their birthdays!

Pumpkin Patch

We went to the pumpkin patch the other day in the freezing cold! I'm not quite sure what we were thinking. It was a short, cold but enjoyable time. Here are a few pictures from our time together.

The perfect picture takes lots of preparation.

Then we have the silly faces.

Then the, "Mom what in the world are you doing with me!" look.

This is the best one of the day. Thankfully, both girls were very sweet and well behaved, although a little cold.


Family pictures at the pumpkin patch...

We put Caroline in the car and it wasn't a minute later that I turned around and found her snoozing away. Apparently picking out the perfect pumpkin is hard work.

Fun times.

Sew...

I finally finished my first outfit for Caroline. I tried to sew Caroline a little dress before she was born but it was never completed. However, when I went home to visit my Mom she helped me to get started on another project. I reluctantly brought it back to Marietta unfinished but thanks to my helpful husband and my really sweet neighbor the overalls became a reality! I can honestly say that I did every bit of sewing but the sewing machine had a few hiccups that required help from Mark and my neighbor.

Here is Caroline styling her new duds...

I think she was showing off for the camera or maybe she really likes new clothes, just like her mama! Either way I can't wait to make her another outfit! I hope it comes sooner rather than later. :-)

I made some matching overalls for Kelsey too. Come back soon because I hope to have a picture of them both styling them (hint, hint Lindsay). :-)

Shopping...

shopping, shopping (said in my best Greg Russel voice). This morning we left a sleepy Caroline with Grandude. I was shocked to come back two hours later and find her in the same position!




While Caroline slept Grinny and I shopped at a consignment sale and some garage sales. We made a couple of great puchases. Grinny was reaaly happy about this one...






I'm really thankful for Mom and Vern! They have been such loving, patient parents teaching me lots along the way. They are also great grandparents! It's really fun to have them love and spoil Caroline!

Caroline Update

Yesterday Caroline may have had her best day yet! She is getting to be such a happy, sweet baby!! We came to Augusta yesterday to visit with Grinny and Grand-dude. She slept all except the last 10 minutes of the drive. Once we got here she played and slept and played and slept. I can put her on the floor for several minutes at a time now and she will just look around and be content.

One of the reasons for her contentment here is the new found tv. Mark and I have not had cable for almost two years and just recently got rid of the tv all together. Here is a picture of her watching the tv at Grinny's house. Mark and I don't think we are too wierd for not having a television but I realize it's different. The other day I took Caroline over to Lindsay's house so that her babysitter could watch both girls while I worked. I was quite embarrassed when Lindsay mentioned to the babysitter in succession that 1)we don't have tv, 2) we use cloth diapers and 3) we use glass baby bottles. OK, we're a little different but that's alright.





Caroline getting some love from Grinny.



Caroline being a content girl.

Caroline's new sleep "trick." When she gets really tired she starts to bury her head in the crook of my arm. It's so funny. You can't really tell in the picture below but her entire face is hidden and I just love the hand on her head. I just imagine her thinking, "Crazy world go away. I'm trying to sleep.

Random thoughts...

I've been hearing a lot of this lately, "Nicole I think you've lost your sense of humor." Mark thinks that since Caroline has arrived, my humor has disappeared. He even tells me that he thinks we should have a funeral for it! I might have agreed with him but then my friend Noelle suggested that maybe Mark just wasn't that funny. I think I like that thought better. :-) Thankfully, Mark also says he thinks my sense of humor will be revived one day and that it doesn't matter because I'm still as sexy as ever. :-)

_____

In other news about me, while Mark thinks I have lost my sense of humor, I think I have lost my mind! People kept telling me that I would have pregnant-brain but it never happened. I think pregnant-brain waited until after Caroline was born to attack. I have such a hard time remembering things and focusing on more than one thing at a time. I'm hoping that this doesn't last for long.

_____

Caroline had a first yesterday that I am proud to report....her first poop explosion! Julie, was holding Caroline at the shower and she started to poop. Julie brought her over to me right away. I still felt the poop coming out and then realized it was all over her clothes! Everyone told me that it would happen at some point and it finally did. Thankfully, Mark was upstairs and he got her all cleaned up! He's a good Dad.

_____

We have really enjoyed having skype because it's an easy way to catch up with family and let them see Caroline. Here are Mark and Caroline talking with his parents and our nephew Roman!

Eventful weekend

We had a great weekend. This is the first weekend in 10 weeks that we have not had house projects (ceiling damage) to work on!! I don't really remember everything that we did but it was good. On Friday Mark, Caroline and I all ran errands together. They were fun errands. I got a new phone and we shopped at Target which is always fun. I had recently received a gift card to Target for doing a research study for Graco. Afterwards we went to dinner and to bed early.

Saturday morning we woke up early and headed out for a 5k. Our church was hosting the run to raise money for two Habitat for Humanity homes. Mark and I have been "training" for two whole weeks and were definitely prepared to run walk most of the race. :-) We did a great job and enjoyed our time together. Here is a good looking picture from before the race. Afterwards, we didn't look so hot.

The rest of Saturday was relaxing and peaceful. We hung out around the house, took a nap, ate dinner and then went to the Marietta Square to walk around.

Sunday we headed to church and then had a baby shower at our home for our friend Amy from Sunday School. I can't begin to explain how thankful I am for our church family. It is truly a joy to have this group of friends. I think my favorite quote from the day was from Katie who said, "I've eaten all of number 4 and I still can't figure out what it is." This was said during our game of guessing baby foods! Thanks to Lauren for expanding our food repertoire!

Gift Giver

My friend Noelle is the best gift giver! She brought me three sweet birthday presents today. Her gifts are always thoughtful and unique. I love it! Not only is she is a good gift giver but she is very generous! Here is Caroline with a blanket full of new toys. A thank you also goes to William who has decided he is too grown up for these toys. :-)

Noelle and I had a good time catching up. I just wish that we were able to do it more often. She is such a sweet friend!