Breakfast Foods

Now that Carter is getting a little older we have been experimenting more with food. He loves to be able to feed himself and make a big mess! The other morning we toasted him a bagel and he went to town licking off all of the cream cheese. I am not sure he actually swallowed much bagel, but he seemed to enjoy himself and that’s what feeding time is all about at this age anyway!

Meeting Baby Griffin

On Thanksgiving Eve Carter and I drove over to Savannah to have lunch with Candace and baby Griffin! We met at B&D Burgers and had a great time catching up, playing with the babies, and chowing down. Afterward we walked around downtown and then hung out at a little park for a bit. As we were walking down the street we both just looked at each other and laughed a bit. We had planned for this day since we met in college, but whoever expected us to have babies so soon! I am so glad that we got to meet baby Griffin and really wish the Stricklands lived closer to the boys could grow up to be best buds. Who knows, maybe they’ll end up college roomies like their mommies! Hahaha!

I couldn’t get over how teeny tiny Griffin was! At six and a half weeks he is still smaller than Carter was when he was born! C’s feet were double in size and his head…well…pretty huge in comparison! Momma Candace was made for this role and it was so great to see her with Griffin. Such a natural! I can’t wait to see them again soon and watch this little bundle grow up! Here’s to “next year” twinny! I love you!!

Eat! Restaurant

We went to Hilton Head for the entire week of vacation around Thanksgiving. Our second night there the family went out to dinner at Robert Irvine’s restaurant “Eat.” He is most well known for his show on HGTV called Dinner Impossible. I thought it would be like other celebrity restaurants where other people are in charge and the owner isn’t actually there, but as soon as we walked in we spotted Chef Irvine working the bar! After an amazing two hour dinner of tapas, wine, and chocolate cake we finally managed to snag a few minutes of his time and snap a couple of pictures. We talked about how much Carter liked his gnocchi and then we headed home! I highly recommend his restaurant if you’re ever in HHI and make sure to try the She Crab bisque and the baked Brie with herb flat bread. Yum yum!!

The Babies Give Thanks

Last weekend the Gordon’s hosted our First Annual Baby Brigade Thanksgiving Dinner. Even though it was a small turnout (all four of the girl babies were absent) we had a really nice time. We have so much to be thankful for this year- especially all of the new friendships we have made. I could go on and on about the mommies in our group (I’m pretty sure there are plenty of posts doing just that) but I will just say that I am so thankful for these ladies and their little babies and am very grateful for the events that lead us into each other’s lives. All the mommies brought our favorite Thanksgiving dishes like green bean casserole, deviled eggs, and mac & cheese (is that a Southern thing?). Linc and I also had sweet potato pie for the first time ever and it was a big hit. Thanks Krissy!! I have to get that recipe from you. We ate until we were absolutely stuffed and then went home and crashed! What a great night!!

So Strong!

Carter has figured out how to pull up to a standing position and loves to practice every chance he gets! This boy has hit all of these new developmental milestones within days of each other and it blows me away every time I see him do something new! I love to watch him crawl around and explore his little world and then watch as his mind focuses on a task like standing up! He is so proud of himself when he gets it right. We are entering new territory here as parents and it is so exciting!

Ignore me talking and watch as Baby C pulls to standing for the first time! November 2010

Happy Thanksgiving!

We have been very blessed this year and have so much to celebrate!

Heavenly Father, on Thanksgiving Day
We bow our hearts to You and pray.
We give You thanks for all You've done
Especially for the gift of Jesus, Your Son.
For beauty in nature, Your glory we see
For joy and health, friends and family,
For daily provision, Your mercy and care
These are the blessings You graciously share.
So today we offer this response of praise
With a promise to follow You all of our days.

Santa Jams

Yes, I realize it’s about to be Thanksgiving but I bought Carter a pair of Santa jammies back when he was an itty bitty hoping they would fit for the holidays. At the rate this boy is growing I wasn’t sure they would make it to Christmas so we busted them out a bit early! C’s room is so cold at night that he gets all bundled up and I couldn’t resist these jams when I saw the adorable little Santa pockets! The second collage gives you a glimpse into what this boy has been up to lately…pulling up on everything!!

Baby Legs

My friend Kerri gave us an extra pair of baby legs that her son Miles did not need. They are perfect for Carter now that he is crawling like a mad man. You can see from these pictures that he never sits still anymore and is into everything! I love the baby legs because they keep his knees from getting rug burn while he is tearing around the house! Thanks Kerri!! PS- don’t you just love those baby blues??

Bubble Bath

I don’t normally do bubble baths every night, but last week when Carter was sick we filled the tub with some vapor wash and steamed up the whole bathroom! He has graduated into sitting in the real tub and loves to be able to splash around. His favorite toy is a hammerhead shark that he chews on while he gets cleaned up. Bath time is our last chance to get out some energy before bed so it’s usually pretty crazy!

Lazy Days

Carter and I have been sick for the past week and have been laying low trying to recover. It seems like I take about a million pictures on days we stay home, so here are a few of my favorites!

Ready, Set, Serve!

Linc and I just finished another season of T2 Mixed Doubles and I am so happy with how it went. Even though we only got third place in our division, we managed to get a spot in the playoffs and kicked butt in three rounds. When we got to the finals we ended up having to play our friends Keith and Megan who also happened to spank us 6-2, 6-3 earlier in the season! They were one of the reasons we got third place. Well, we decided to try our best, focus on their weaknesses, and hope they made more mistakes than us! The first set was horrible and we only took one game. After regrouping and putting our heads in the game, we came back 6-3, 6-4! That sealed our spot as Champs and we were so happy! Mom and Dad cheered us on (and helped babysit) and it was a great night. I was happy just to get a bag tag but we also walked away with little crystal tennis balls, a lunch box, t-shirts, and car magnets. We’re done playing together until ALTA Mixed starts in January and then T2 picks up again in March. I can’t wait!

Holiday Cards

I have always used Shutterfly for my holiday cards because I love their selection and how easy it is to insert pictures and text. They have such a great variety no matter what holiday you celebrate! Last year I had some fun with our ultrasound photo and added a little Santa hat to Baby H.

This year I have quite a few cards that I love.

1. All Is Bright Christmas Card by Fresh Lemonade

2. Candy Cane Stocking Christmas Card by Fontaine Maury

3. Candy Cane Fun Christmas Card by Fresh Lemonade

Another reason why I love Shutterfly is because of their promotions and dedication to customer service. I use them to make all of Carter’s month by month books, order birthday presents from their site, and share photos of Carter through their online sharing websites.

* Did you know---> Bloggers can get 50 free holiday cards from Shutterfly… sign up here *

Start Spreading the News...

That's right...C has a little baby cousin on the way!! I am going to be an aunt!! Yay!! I am so excited to finally be able to share this amazing news. Keeping quite for the last two months has been hard. We had been praying hard for God to bless K&R with a family and even though it took a bit longer than they had planned, He is so good and now they are anxiously awaiting their own little miracle. Kris is due on May 20, 2011 which just happens to be her 30^th birthday! Wouldn’t that be a hoot? Two little birthday babies- what could be a better present? I hope you will stop by and give her some love and following along as we all wait for Baby Morgan to make his/her arrival.

PS- and a round of applause to Laura who noticed Baby C’s very special #1 Cousin onesie a few weeks ago!! After I posted about Hilton Head I had to go back and cover up his shirt so people wouldn’t see.

PPS- That’s right…I bawled like a baby as soon as Kris made her announcement. What can I say?

Carter Meets Santa

Santa came early this year thanks to a fundraiser for a group I belong to called Forsyth Mommies. For a small donation you could reserve your spot to hang out with Saint Nick and take as many pictures as your heart desired! Carter could not have been in a better mood (despite it being WAY past nap time) and he got a kick out of sitting with Santa and petting his beard. We posed for a few family shots, told Santa what Carter would like for Christmas, and were on our merry way. I was glad to have this opportunity to take photos early on in case we want to use them in our holiday card. Now I just have to decide which ones to order! In the meantime, here is a little peek at our sweet boy meeting Santa Claus.

Eight Month Party

It just happened to work out that both of my sisters were in town when Carter turned eight months old. We hosted all of the family for a yummy dinner that evening to celebrate!

Playing Outside

When Kris and Ryan come to visit they usually bring their dog Jax. Combine her inner shepherd with two Jack Russells, and that makes for a lot of dogs with a lot of energy!! We like to bring the pups up to our tennis courts to help wear them out and give them a change of scenery. This was also the first time Carter got to play on our neighborhood playground! It was such a beautiful day and perfect weather to be playing outside. Baby C loved showing off his crawling skills in the tunnel and going down the slide!

Eight Months Old!

Hip Hip Hooray! Carter turned Eight Months Old on Friday! We had a mini party to celebrate because it just so happened my entire side of the family was in town. That day (and actually, this entire weekend) was filled with lots of fun but I’ll save each part for a different post  

 

Carter, I cannot believe eight months have gone by since the day we met you. Your daddy and I cherish the time we get to spend with you and are so blessed that you are our son. Thank you for filling each day with new adventures and tons of memories. You keep us on our toes and are changing right before our eyes. You are an amazing little boy who is growing up way too fast. I love each new stage in your development (even suffering through eight teeth) and can’t wait to see what happens next. We love you so much little bubs. xoxoox

Mom’s Night Out

A while back our favorite website was selling coupons to Cocktails & Canvas- a little painting studio down in Brookhaven. They have painting classes every night of the week and provide you with everything you need to create your own masterpiece! It also allows you to bring in your own beverages of choice, snacks, and whatever else you want to have a fun evening. The March Mommies had been dying for a night out on the town so when a painting became available a few of us signed up. We couldn’t coordinate to get everyone into the same class, but hopefully the next group of girls have as much fun as we did the other night! Five friends got together, polished off three bottles of wine, and created some really fun paintings. Thanks to Shari for bringing the delicious appetizers and for Kerri for being our DD. It was an absolute blast and I hope we get to go out again together VERY soon!! hahaha

Trick-or-Treat

Carter’s first Halloween was so much fun! His grandma Bella came to stay with us and we had the whole family over for a big dinner. We only made it to two houses before C was tired, but he was definitely the cutest lion in the neighborhood! We had a lot of trick-or-treaters and got rid of a lot of the candy I had stock piled. Unfortunately, I think we will still be eating it until Thanksgiving! The weather was perfect and all in all I’d say we had a great time! Can’t wait to see what he is going to be next year!