This time last year...

...Chad and I were spending our last night as a family of two at GHS. It was a Sunday and as I was I was attempting to nap on the couch, God's perfect timing arrived and my water broke. Words cannot describe how I felt. I mean, I had been waiting on that moment for the longest time, but when it actually happened, I almost couldn't believe it. For 39.5 weeks I had been wondering where I would be, what I would be doing, etc when it all happened and here it was happening right before me. The anticipation you feel knowing you are about to bring a child into the world and into your lives in a matter of hours cannot be described - total excitement and total fear all wrapped up with a big bow! Chad and I got to the hospital a little before 6 pm and were sent to Triage. They checked to make sure my water truly had broken and then sent us on to Labor and Delivery. We spent a pretty sleepless night enduring my contractions and then morning came....TO BE CONTINUED!!!!

Here are pics from March 9, 2008...

Me and my big belly

Calling friends and family

One of our last pictures of our family of two

Snip, snip

Last Thursday (after being snowed in for our apppointment on Monday) we had a meeting with the "hemlet doctor" and YAY we are finally done with it!! Caleb's head started out with a 18mm difference and the helmet has corrected it to only a 10 mm difference. The doc was hoping to get down into the single digits with only a 8 or 9 mm difference, but his head growth has started slowing down since he's older and he said we'd have to wear it 6-8 more weeks to get that result, and he just didn't think it would be noticable enough to put him through that many more weeks. So....we are helmet free!!! However, being helmet free presented a few new problems. Not only do we no longer have built in protection for those clumsy falls babies take, but we also no longer have a device to hold Caleb's hair out of his face!!! With that said, Saturday afternoon we took a trip for Caleb's first haircut! We went to this place called Jellybeans and they charge 1 cent for your child's very first cut. He did great and acted like he'd been having his hair cut his whole life! It was amazing how much older he looked after only having a little hair cut....perfect for his first ever birthday party which was the following day (that blog to come soon!!). Enjoy the pictures!

Sleepless in Anderson

Yep, that's us. Caleb started sleeping through the night at 11 weeks. He has always done well except for occassionally when he's teething. Lately, he's started waking up super early in the morning....like 4 am!!! It's about to kill me!!! Last night he was awake from 1:30 - 3am! To all you mommies out there....how old were your kids when they dropped their morning nap? He still sleeps about 1.5 hours in the morning and then 1.5 in the afternoon. I am starting to wondering if maybe he is getting too much sleep during the day and not needing as much sleep at night 'cause when he wakes up at 4 am he is WIDE awake and wants to play!!! Any ideas from any professional mom's out there?!?!

Winter Wonderland!!!

So here we are on March 1st, 9 days before Caleb's first birthday, and we get out first snow of the winter. I was wondering if not being in school this year would cause me to be less excited about the snow since I stay home anyway, but let me tell you, that was not true. I was JUST as excited!! Here are some pics of Caleb going out in his first snow. Oh, and by the way, we only stayed out about 10 minutes. I had to preface the pics with that because he has no gloves on and we had a VERY hard time getting him to keep his hat on. Since he's had his helmet all winter we never purchased a stocking hat that ties under the chin, but we are definitely in the market for one next year! Enjoy the pics and enjoy your day at home...if, in fact, you are getting to be "snowed in" too!!

Caleb and Daisy checking out all the white stuff!

4.5 inches!! WOW!

Our backyard

Caleb wondering what this is all about.

Playing with Da-da.

They were hopping through the snow!

Family snow pic.

Our house covered in white

Our slushy street

Chocolate Mug Cake

OK...I did not come up with this recipe nor have I tried it. But it looks WAY good and I am definitely going to give it a try ASAP!! Thanks, Khristy, for sending it to me!! 5 MINUTE CHOCOLATE MUG CAKE 4 tablespoons flour 4 tablespoons sugar 2 tablespoons cocoa 1 egg 3 tablespoons milk 3 tablespoons oil 3 tablespoons chocolate chips (optional) A small splash of vanilla extract 1 large coffee mug Add dry ingredients to mug, and mix well. Add the egg and mix thoroughly. Pour in the milk and oil and mix well. Add the chocolate chips (if using) and vanilla extract, and mix again. Put your mug in the microwave and cook for 3 minutes at 1000 watts. The cake will rise over the top of the mug, but don't be alarmed! Allow to cool a little, and tip out onto a plate if desired. EAT! (this can serve 2 if you want to feel slightly more virtuous). And why is this the most dangerous cake recipe in the world ? Because now we are all only 5 minutes away from chocolate cake at any time of the day or night!

A penny for your thoughts....

Except I am PRETTY sure you would not want the penny I gave you. Let me explain...

I go to change Caleb's diaper last week and guess what I found?!?! Yep, a penny. Right in the middle of his "shoo shoo" (as we call it). Oh yeah. Mom of the year for me. When did he eat this, you ask. I HAVE NO CLUE!! I thought back over the few days prior and the only time I could think it may have happened was about two days before. Caleb was with me in our room playing - pulling up on anything he could find, crawling all around - while I was getting dressed. Then, he started coughing. Of course, I immediately looked down at him and he spit up some (which is a little odd because he hadn't just eaten and he never spits up anymore) but he seemed to get a hold of himself and go right back to playing. He never even cried or anything. So, I finished getting ready. And then two days later...well, you read the beginning. When Chad got home, which was about 10 minutes after I discovered this, I took the diaper to him and told him I knew how we were going to strike it rich. I opened the diaper and said, "Look!!! Our child poops pennies!!!" We did have a good laugh over it, but boy did I feel like a poopy mom (literally!)

Have you ever done something that made you feel like an awful mom??? PLEASE share your story and let me know I'm not the only one!!!!

Fhoto Friday

A decade ago...

....I was turning 20. I was a sophomore at Winthrop University living in Margaret Nance with my roomie, Lindsay. Oh my how things have changed in the past 10 years, and I'm not talking about little changes, I'm talking about huge, significant changes!! Take a look down memory lane with me:

1. I met another significant person in my life, Janelle, during my sophomore year. She's a dear, dear friend to this day and someone I could not imagine life without. She's the friend you call when you want to chat or when you need the complete honest truth - because she will deliver it to you, but with love.
2. I graduated from Winthrop with a B.S. in Elementary Ed.
3. I graduated from Furman with a Masters in Reading
4. I got my first teaching job at CCES.
5. I met, planned a wedding and married my sweet hubby, Chad.
6. I moved 6 times (Winthrop to home, home to an apt, apt back home, home to Anderson, Anderson to Easley, and Easley back to Anderson!! Makes me tired just typing it!)
7. My family joined an amazing church (Simpsonville First Baptist) where I've been active ever since and have met so many of our "couple friends" there.
8. I had a baby!!!
9. I became a stay at home mom
10. I almost have a 1 year old!!!!

Isn't it amazing to take a look at the road God leads you down in hinesight?? But, although these are all great and wonderful things what matters most is that I pray I was pleasing to God in everything I did in these last 10 years. I know I blew it a WHOLE lot, which is why I am thankful for forgiveness and grace. I am also thankful for the next 10 years ahead. I can't wait to see what my list will hold then and just where God will have led us by then!! I'm going to leave you with the words on the birthday card that my wonderful friend Jennifer gave me because they really spoke volumes to me, and I hope they will to you too:

God is writing a book about you.

The pages tell of your life

and the lives you were created to touch.

No one else will take exactly the same path as you,

meet the same people,

or have a chance to show the love of God in the same way.

You are unique and so is your story...

and it's one of the Author's favorite reads.

Too easy NOT to make...

Do you ever need a quick, but yummy meal. Boy, do I have one for you. It takes about 15 minutes from scratch to table. Try it on one of your super busy evenings. It's yummy and super filling.

Broccoli and Chicken Casserole
1 can chicken
8 oz chopped broccoli (I use frozen)
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 cup milk
1 cup minute rice

Put broccoli and about 1 tbsp water in 1 1/2 qt. microwavable dish and microwave uncovered 2 minutes. Add all other ingerdients except 1/2 cup cheese. Mix together and microwave for 6 minutes. Sprinkle remainder of cheese on top and microwave 5 more minutes.

Enjoy!!

I usually serve this with bread and some fruit. Also, if you have leftovers, warm them the next day and put it in a wrap...delicious!!

Date with a BLONDE...

Last night Chad and I had the night all to ourselves. Caleb went to mom and dad's for a sleepover, so we decided to have a date night. I got all dressed up (well, as good as it gets these days) and Chad met me in Greenville after work. Only one thing....last night, I'm pretty sure Chad felt like he was out with the blondest chick in the world!! Let me explain...


Dinner went just fine. Flatrrock Grill - one of my favs. Then we went to the movies. Chad is always sweet about seeing whatever I want to see. I think he does this because he knows I may actually stay awake through the whole movie if I pick it. So, I picked Bride Wars. I got in line to buy the tickets while Chad parked. After getting the tickets, I went inside and waited on him. I called him twice because it seemed like he was taking forver. There were a lot of people there, but it seemed like it was taking him a long time to find a spot! Finally he came in and we went to find a seat. After we got seated, he pulled out a coffee, which he had gone across the street to Atlanta Bread and gotten while he was "parking" the car. What an incredible hubby! :) OR, yet another ploy to keep me awake in the movie...ha! At this point in the evening everything is still fine. We watch the movie in the rather packed theatre and about 3/4 of the way through I decide I need a little more wiggle room. The seat to the left is taken, so naturally I decided to shift toward the right where Chad is. I lift the arm divider rather quickly and Chad leans over and quietly reminds me, "Carrie, your coffee was in there!!" AHGGGGHHHHHH!!! I freaked and turn around to explain to the woman behind me, who I was SURE I had just drenched in coffee! Luckily she hadn't even noticed, but the floor right at her feet was wet. We turned around and couldn't quit laughing!


So the movie ends, we again apologize to the woman behind us for the flying coffee cup and head on out. In the lobby I run into a former student and her parents (her mom was my room mom last year) who I just love. I had chatted with them some before the movie so we stood there a bit longer and compared movie notes. As we were talking my lipgloss somehow fell out of my purse. My friend points it out to me and I pick up and toss it in my purse.

We leave, and decide to go look for dessert somewhere. As we are driving there I pull out the lipgloss to freshen up a little, put it on, rub my lips together and suddenly realize....IT IS NOT MY LIPGLOSS FLAVOR!!!!! What?!?!?! I turn on the light and see that the lipgloss looks like mine, almost even the same color with a silver lid, but it's definitely not mine. GROSS! Then I just start imagining the skank that probably used the gloss last and the gimungus fungus that will probably appear on my lips the next day. So we get another laugh off of me on this one.

To wrap up our date we decide to pay a visit to Krispy Kreme donuts...AND the hot-n-now sign was on, which is a major plus! To end our night, as we were leaving KK I did my very best to get into someone else' car!!! The bad thing is that it didn't even look like ours - wrong color, wrong model, wrong everything!!

Oh well....all I can say is that we had a great time and had some really good laughs. Unfortunately, they were ALL at my expense!!

Don't waste your money...

I love a good cup of joe. I love it black. I love it by itself, I love it with a meal, I love it with dessert. Tonight I decided to treat myself to some Starbucks after church. I had done really well with my points (I do weight watchers) today so I decided I would have a little dessert to go with it. I choose very carefully so as not to ruin the rest of my week. After much deliberation I decided on the cinnamon twist. It was the only one that had the calories listed in front of it, so I fugured it was a good choice....and I had planned to make it even better by only eating half. It was 300 calories, so I was going to consume 150. I got my coffee and my highly anticipated cinnamon twist, settled in my car, and was pretty excited about my nice, quiet ride back home. That all changed as soon as I bit into my dessert. GAG!!! It was as dry as the Sahara!!! Seriously, it was a good thing I had to coffee to revive myself or I may have choked!!

It was after this that I really started thinking...have I ever had ANY dessert from Starbucks that was just to die for??? My answer....no. All this to say, stick to the coffee, folks - at least at Starbucks. Save your calories for your momma's home cookin'!!

6 more weeks...

...give or take is the amount of time Caleb has left in his helmet. We had our every 3 week appointment today with the "helmet doc" and that was his prognosis. We were crossing our fingers and praying that today might be the magic day, but it didn't turn out that way. Mr. Todd did do another scan (which they haven't done since the first visit, and is a far more accurate measurement than the hand measurements they've done on all the other visits) and he was very pleased with the progress he saw. He was very happy with the improvement in Caleb's forehead (one side was bossed when we begin treatment) and also his head length had significantly improved. When we began the length of his head diagonally was longer than it was front to back. Now his front to back measurement is completely normal. We are basically waiting on one spot near the crown of his head to round out and we should be done. I must say that Caleb was a major trooper today. Our appointments there are usually abour 30 minutes and today's was 1 and a half hours because of the scan and many, many adjustments to the helmet (and after each adjustment he has to wear it 10 min or so to make sure it isn't rubbing anywhere). He never cried or whimpered one time. He ended up taking his bottle and eating his lunch there! He fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot and slept 1.5 hours after we got home. My baby was worn out!! So, he will still be wearing the helmet a bit longer and we will still have to endure cleaning it and the stinky head it gives him, but I know it will all be worth it in the end.

Worshipful Running

Well this day's been crazy

But everything's happened on schedule

from the rain and the cold

To the drink that I spilled on my shirt

'Cause You knew how You'd save me

before I fell dead in the garden

And You knew this day

long before You made me out of dirt

And You know the plans that You have for me

And You can't plan the end and not plan the means

And so I suppose I just need some peace

Just to get me to sleep.

You may call me old school, but I am a huge Caedmon's Call fan and the above song, Table for Two, has always been one of my favorites. As I was running today it played on my iPod during shuffle mode. I listened to it twice. I especially love the last two verses.

I love being reminded that God knows everything about us before we're even formed. Psalm 139:16, "Every day of my life was recored in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day passed." I love that since He knows the end, He's going to give us a way to get to it. I love that just last Sunday I was reminded by the person preaching that everything we go through is first filtered through the fingertips of God before it even gets to us. The good. The bad. The ugly. All of it.

My prayer last Sunday was simply to do my best this year to completely abide in Christ. And that is a scary prayer because I have no idea what this year (or tomorrow, for that matter ) holds. I am writing this because I urge you to do the same. Thankfully, I serve a God who knows what the future holds and I know that no matter what, He will be just enough. I pray I can abide in that this coming year and that you can too.

And one final thought.....I love worship and the fact that you can do it anywhere!! Although I was running indoors at the Y today, it was such a refreshing and renewing time for me! Praise the Lord for iPods to take our minds off of what we're really doing!!! :)

Fhoto Friday (is back!!!!)

Future coffee drinker

Lately, Caleb has started pulling up on things - basically anything that won't fall over because of his weight, he tries to pull up on. Currently he only gets to his knees, but I know that will soon come to and end and he will be cruising around on everything. If you know me well, you know that I am one of those people who has a particular place for things in my house. Yes, I move them around occassionally, but I have things "decorated" the way I like. I seriously put thought into that items I am going to sit on my coffee table and they are stratigically placed I do, however, feel that is about to change. This morning Caleb and I were sitting in the den. I was checking email on the laptop and he was "supposed" to the playing with his toys. I guess he changed his mind. When I turned around I noticed my coffee cup dangling from his hand. Apparently he pulled himself to his knees on the coffee table, grabbed the coffee cup (which I had pushed back from the edge of the table to the middle) and decided to try a bit of coffee. What a GREAT Sosebee he's going to be!! Thankfully, there was only a little in the cup and it was very cool. The only real messes were his pj's and the little bit I had to clean up off the table. Yay for the rug being spared this time!! Looks like we may have a coffee drinker on our hands. I'm thinking we may even start him in his sippy cup....HA! :)

Christmas 2008

YAY! So, I’m finally posting about our Christmas. Sorry it has taken me so long; I know some of you have just been on your toes waiting for me to post (ahemmm…Lacey!!). I guess I can start by saying that we had a wonderful Christmas…a bit different, but wonderful nonetheless. And when I say different, I definitely mean that in the good kind of way. Here are a few examples:

1. My brother was home for the first time in 2 years for the holidays.

2. The day after Christmas we added one more gathering of family among all the others that happen on Christmas and before.

3. We were in [yet] another house this year.

4. We have a child this year.

#4 was the most life changing one, but oh was it so fun. I remember last Christmas thinking “This time next year, we’ll have a baby”. Boy, did that time come quickly - and to think we are almost a year into it. WOW! Anyway, Caleb was pretty clueless about all that was going on around him; he just kind of watched and took it all in. Even though we were slightly off our normal schedule and he wasn’t feeling so well, he didn’t seem to mind being passed around like hot potato for a few days. He kinda figured out the unwrapping and definitely was into the paper - although the toys seemed to intrigue him momentarily. He got lots of neat (and noisy!) things and he’s already enjoyed them so much. Thank goodness most of them have off switches! Oh, and just for the record. I absolutely LOVED playing Santa!!!

As always, the thing that stuck out the most to me this Christmas was how important family is to me and just how blessed I am to be a part of so many wonderful relationships. I still don’t know how I possibly deserve the wonderful people that God has placed in my life, but I am so thankful for them - not only my immediate and extended family, but also my church family. I am so thankful that God has placed people in my life who help me to celebrate the birth of His Son all throughout the year. People who remind me through the examples they live everyday about what it means to fully trust and abide in God; what it means to lean not on my understanding, but to seek His; people who will pray with and for me; people who are willing to follow God wherever He may lead them; and people who love me even when I mess up all of these. This Christmas, along with the beautiful reminder that Christ was born to die, I was reminded of how much better life is because I have an entire family and many, many friends who have accepted Him and who celebrate the real meaning of the season. And now I am longing and praying for the day when our son joins us in celebrating this true meaning.

I'm still alive...

...but blogging has seemed so hard to get to these days!! Goodness!! And the crazy thing is that things have actually been much slower lately. One problem is that our internet has been down for about 4 days. Anyway, I am going to try my best to make time to do it very soon because I still want to update on Christmas...I mean, if it's still OK to do that almost one month later!!! Keep checkin' back, I'll be back on the scene very soon.

The dreaded visitor...

No, I am talking about the person that you dread seeing over the holidays or the neighbor that stops by to bring you goodies when you haven't seem them all year. I'm not even talking about a little rodent running around your house. The visitor I am speaking of creeps in slowly and secretly, it wrecks havoc on your family and causes any planned activities to come to a screeching halt. It is the STOMACH BUG!!!! AGGGGGHHHHHH!!! So, I thought we had escaped it until I woke up at 5:30 this morning. I went to check on Caleb and when I got back in bed I could just feel it coming on. I sat there and prayed that it wasn't what I thought it was, but by 6:30 I had been confirmed as I spent my first of many moments today with Mr. Toilet. He and I have had a bonding expereince like no other today!! Sweet Chad had to take care of all Caleb's morning routines - giving him his bottle, feeding him his oatmeal, giving him a bath and dressing him - and he did a great job. And he even arranged for Caleb to spend the day with his mom. As much as I hate getting up early sometimes, I really missed doing all our routines this morning. But more than that, I missed not being able to hug Caleb or Chad. I definitely don't want them catching this right here at Christmas....or ever for that matter. Please be praying that they will avoid it. OK...off to find the Lysol!!! :)

Teething BITES!!!

Seriously, I am about convinced that I would rather Caleb just have some dentures later in life. These two top teeth coming in have been AWFUL!!! This is by far the worst days I've had with him. He is a really good baby and has been so easy and I am just not used to all this screaming. Let me give you some scenarios:

Pre-Teething: At naptime and bedtime I rock Caleb for 3-5 min max, lay him down semi-awake with this paci. Somtimes he will babble, etc but then he falls asleep usually within 15 minutes or so. Naps last about 1.5 hours and he sleeps soundly at night from 8ish - 6:15ish.

And then there's The Teething Experience: Rock Caleb for his 3-5 min, put him down and he instantly starts fussing. I leave him there to fuss it out.....25 min later, still fussy. I pick him up, his eyes close before I can even get to the rocker. I rock him some, he seems asleep, I put him down....he starts screaming again. Finally after 45 min - 1 hour of battle he falls asleep...BUT, not for long. He's been waking about 45 min into naps and last night he was awake from 12am-3am crying away. I have given him tylenol, teething tablets, oragel....people, we have tried it all. It's so pitiful because he seems to miserable and there's nothing I can do. Oh...and today his eyes were all red and irritated looking because of lack of sleep. From the looks of him, people probably thought I was one of those moms who carts their kid in pj's to Wal-Mart at 11 pm and then heads on to the Waffle House for a little midnight snack!!

Anyway, all I keep saying is that I sure hope his teeth are really cute. And I also remind myself that this too shall pass - well, until I have other kids - oh my I can't even think about that right now, I'm likely to reconsider!!

We've been ELFED!!!!

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