Due Date Update

We learned today that our little inchworm (who measured exactly one inch) is due to arrive around January 4. Their "best guess" due date is January 11, but my c-section will likely be scheduled around the 4th. So the countdown begins (mainly until this first trimester is over)!

A little Monet and a lot of fun!

Caroline and I are fortunate to have our friends Madeline and Julie to throw a little culture into our normal routine. Friday they invited us to be their guests at a preview of the Monet exhibit at the High. So, we loaded up early (for us) and headed downtown. It was not the first time I've seen Monet there, but it was the fastest I've seen an exhibit. Two pre-schoolers certainly keep things moving along at the art museum!

You can imagine the deep appreciation they had for the painting behind them.

Fortunately, after looking at the "ba-fas" (While Julie gave Madeline a detailed art history lesson, I taught Caroline the word "flower"), there was a great kids' area where our little butterflies could let loose.

(Haven't her art skills come along nicely?)

Followed by lunch at Doc Chey's, it was a perfect day!

Fun in the (even hotter) Sun

We left the warm temps of Atlanta last weekend for an even sunnier week in Florida visiting family. We stopped in Orlando for a couple of days to see Mike's "little" (not so little anymore!) cousin, Andrew graduate from high school. Congratulations, Andrew!

While we were there, we got to see Gogo, Grandma Daisy, and all the aunts and uncles...and Caroline got to make her pool debut for the year in the Whatley's pool. Daddy braved the cold water with her, but Mommy and Aunt Vickie opted to take pictures on dry land!

From Orlando we headed to West Palm to spend a few more days with Gogo and Grandma Daisy. We had a lot of fun...

visiting

swimming

meeting our new friend, Joshua (and visiting with our old friend, Brian, too!)

seeing Baby Cousin Brooklyn (and Cousin Tarrah too!)

and playing with Maddison (and Grampy and Grammy too!)

Unfortunately, Caroline got sick on our last day there, but fortunately Nurse Gogo was there to check her out and make sure it was nothing serious. After a pitiful (and messy!) morning, she perked back up and seemed to feel ok again. BUT, now poor Mike seems to have come down with whatever she had (only worse) and is feeling pretty pitiful himself.

Hoping for a healthy family soon so that I can resume my position as the pitiful one (with all day "morning" sickness) in the family! :)

Update: I guess I will be more careful about what I hope for. This post is a little delayed because I did become the pitiful one in the family when I got the virus, and it hit me hardest of all. I don't remember ever having been sick like that before. We are finally all back to normal--unfortunately that is still not "well" for me--but I'm glad that my family is well again!

Ghosts of Battles Past

Back when Caroline started eating finger food on her own, she also started throwing finger food on her own. And each time she did it, along with a firm, "we do not throw food on the floor" (which always brought tears), she had to help clean up whatever she threw. It took a couple of weeks of testing me before she finally started handing me the food she didn't want instead (I pick my battles). She'll occasionally, however, tests the limits again--in case it has suddenly become ok to throw food. So last week, we had to get in the floor and pick up bits of boiled egg. As usual, there were tears, but she really does work hard at helping to clean up her mess!

(Look at that shaggy hair! I'm debating about whether it is time for her first haircut.)

Be Still My Beating Heart

No, actually, you just keep beating away, little heart. We were so excited to see you for the first time today!
Still no due date for this little munchkin, but it may be later than we thought--possibly in mid January. We'll go back for another look in a couple of weeks.

The Five Finger Method

I've let Caroline "help" with the spoon before, but today I left her to her own devices with her oatmeal. After several misses at the bowl, her frustration got the best of her and she resorted to this: (sorry it's sideways!)

The Evidence Remains

Last Thursday was not our best day and, if you come over, you'll still see the evidence. First, poor Caroline took a tumble and hit her eye on the corner of the coffee table. I thought she had hit her head and could tell it really hurt from the way she cried. So, I picked her up and was trying to console her when I noticed a big black/purlple thing popped out under the outside corner of her eye. Within about two minutes, it looked like this...

and, until yesterday, it got darker and bigger each day. Her eye is black almost up to her eyebrow now.

And then a little later, Caroline and I were on our way out of the driveway for a walk when we met a new neighbor hanging out by our mailbox...
My fear of snakes runs pretty deep, and I really surprised myself when I didn't totally freak out. He didn't seem to be going anywhere so I took a few pictures and tried to teach Caroline the word, "snake" and tried to calmy (while my heart was racing) explain that we shouldn't get too close to them. (I figure she needs to know the danger, but no reason to pass my insane fear on to her). Fortunately, Mike was on his way home and only a mile or so away. So, after the quick (very quick) lesson, Caroline and I backed away and waited for Daddy to come home and save the day by...

wrestling the snake to its death with his bare hands?

getting a shovel and chopping its head off?

catching it and releasing it into the wild?

Uhh...no. He ran over it with his truck.

Eight times. (Mike is almost as unfond of snakes as I am). And then took us to get ice cream.

I'll spare you the "after" photos, but it was gross. And neither of us were interested in dealing with the remains...so even though a few days of sunshine and a couple of rain showers have cleaned things up a bit, our deceased visitor is still on the curb. And Caroline's eye still looks like she was in a boxing match. But the most lasting "remain" of that day is my new snake paranoia. I am constantly scanning for them and gasping if I step on a stick. Hope that fades with the black eye or we may have to move again!

(By the way, anyone know what kind of snake it is? I guess it's probably "just" a harmless black snake...but I definitely saw some kind of light pattern markings on its back.)

Left Behind

We got an especially early start one morning recently so Mike fed Caroline breakfast and had a few minutes to play before he left for work. When he picked up his laptop and keys to go, Caroline ran to the playroom, quickly found both her purses, and marched right up behind him as he was walking out the door. You can imagine the tears that ensued when she was left behind.

Since you've been gone...

So, apparently, no one has been reading our blog for the past four months (since nothing was posted)---and we've missed sharing our adventures with you! We've had quite a busy few months...

First, Caroline turned ONE! We celebrated with snowflakes, cupcakes, and some special people.

It was a fun weekend, but by the end, our little birthday girl had had enough fun!
Then, we bought a new HOUSE...

which means Caroline got to go to her first closing...

and we got to spend a lot of time getting ready for the move--thanks, Papa Jim and Grandmother for the countless hours of hard work!
Just a few days before the move, Caroline started WALKING...And hasn't slowed down since.

Then a few weeks later, I turned THIRTY (yikes!)...and got to spend the weekend celebrating with sweet friends and family.

And, finally, today, Caroline got a fun new T-SHIRT!

That's right...around Christmas this year, we'll be getting quite a present! For those of you that know we had some difficulty having Caroline, you know that this "surprise" baby is truly a surprise! It's not exactly what we had planned, but we are THRILLED!

Thanks for coming back by to check on us--don't stay away so long next time!