Just The Four of Us

Self-portrait by Carter

2010-02-04T11:35:00.000-05:00

The Great Snow of 2010

2010-02-01T21:14:00.004-05:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CARTER!!!!!!

2010-01-09T21:58:00.003-05:00

We celebrated Carter's fourth birthday today at Chuck E. Cheese, where else!? He enjoyed his day full of fun, his friends Savannah and Caroline, his family of course, and last but not least...sugar. I will post pictures later, but for your enjoyment, here is a video of Camden singing Happy Birthday to his big brother!

HO-HO-HO, Merry Christmas!

2009-12-16T16:14:00.001-05:00

Halloween, Thanksgiving and Birthdays...Oh My!

2009-12-16T14:33:00.010-05:00

I have been the blogging slacker of all slackers lately. Actually, the truth is the boys have me running ragged. Camden just turned two on the 29th of November and Carter will be turning 4 on the 9th of January! With Christmas conveniently sandwiched in between those two days, the boys are in for an exciting three months.

Camden is enjoying verbal freedom running around the house screaming "mine" and all sorts of other words that drive Mommy crazy. Some of the ones that daddy likes are; hot-dog, eyebrow, Santa Clause and HO-HO-HO, which go right along with the current season. The boys have asked Santa to bring the Leapsters- well, Carter has asked for one but Camden has no idea what he is talking about!

Carter was Mater (from Disney's Cars movie) and Camden was an elephant for Halloween. For Thanksgiving, Dan's parents and my parents came along with my sister Heather and her children and my brother. We enjoyed a wonderful Thanksgiving feast complete with a 25 pound turkey!

For Camden's birthday, we held a 60th birthday party for my Mom as well. EVERYONE came, I mean EVERYONE! It was great. Besides the brother-in-laws, we had the WHOLE Magee, Collins, and Fennel families as well as uncle David and Dan's parents.

We are thoroughly enjoying the boys and love that they are best friends. They keep us on our toes EVERYminute of the day, but time is flying by so fast that we are trying to take it in and enjoy it!

The boys enjoying the last bit of warmth October has to offer.

Camden's famous "OH!" face. This is the result of my saying, "Look! There's a bug on my camera!" to get the boys to look at me.

A ladybug always provides for some wonderful entertainment.

Hayride and pumpkin patch!

Cousin Gabriel enjoyed the day with us as well as Grammie.

Doodie L O V E S Carter.

Pullen Park Raleigh, NC

It's About Time!

2009-10-08T15:24:00.006-04:00

August and September just flew by! We were all busy recovering from surgery (Bonnie) and traveling to the beach. Bonnie's friend Amy came up from Atlanta with her two girls to help Bonnie take care of the boys/house after her surgery. While Amy was still here, we all went to the beach and had a wonderful time.

The kids watching Noggin, what else.

The girls checking out their room.

Look Mah! No hands.

LEMONS! Blech.

Checking out the alligators at Myrtle Beach.

THE END

2009-08-18T22:24:00.001-04:00

Our nice new blinds! YAY.

Our old, yucky, parrot destroyed metal blinds.

Where's Daddy?

2009-08-18T21:26:00.003-04:00

The kids love to hide us with pillows if we dare lay down to take a rest.

Dan and Bonnie Back in the Day....

2009-07-31T20:51:00.005-04:00

Carterisms

2009-07-30T21:19:00.002-04:00

Carter has been coming up with some pretty cute things lately and I don't want to forget how fun this age is. So, here are a few of his latest Carterisms:

"Mommy, trains don't have feelings...and people don't melt."

(While watching Fraggle Rock) "Daddy, do Fraggles have hineys?"

(After falling and scraping his knee tonight) A small green bird with large talons, named Ramone, pushed him down by tripping his leg causing him to scrape both of his knees.

Pictures from our 4th of July Trip up North

2009-07-14T21:17:00.008-04:00

This was our nest at Uncle Rob and Aunt Michele's house. It was super cozy and all four of us fit beautifully, and all with our own beds!

Cousins Kira & John and Jaja

Our pretty little girl...er, I mean boy playing with Kira's hair accessories.

Dan was rocking it out with Metallica on Wii's Rock Band.

We went to a small amusement park while visiting Dan's family in the Cleveland area for the fourth of July.

The boys goofing off at Uncle Rob and Aunt Michele's house.

Dan's brother's family decided to offer Simon a good home so we had to take
him up to Cleveland with us. He rode for 10 hours in-between the boys. Oh, and I case you are wondering, yes we had to bring his HUGE-mongous cage with us. And yes, Dan did make sure that suitcase wouldn't budge in the event of heavy braking.

Our cool dudes back at home.

Happy Father's Day!!!

2009-06-21T14:24:00.000-04:00

We love you honey.

Picture Post

2009-06-16T22:55:00.003-04:00

Hanging out with our dearest friends in Atlanta.

Enjoying fruit smoothies!

A,B,C,D,A,B,G,F....

2009-06-02T09:12:00.004-04:00

Our little Camden loves to sing the alphabet with his brother- it is one of the cutest things...ever! I will post a video of his adorable attempts soon.

Manhole

2009-06-02T09:05:00.002-04:00

Lately, Carter has been interested in manholes and has asked plenty of questions regarding them. The other evening, Carter and I were at Home Depot picking out some flowers when he happened to notice a manhole. This is the conversation that ensued:

Carter: Mommy, Mommy...
Me: Yes, what is it Carter?
Carter: Is that a manhole?
Me: Yes honey, that's a manhole.
Carter: Oh.
(thinking, thinking, thinking.....)
Mommy?
Me: Yes Carter?
Carter: Where's the ladyhole?

I love him. He makes me laugh.

PottyTraining

2009-05-07T20:16:00.003-04:00

Well, today will mark a week since the "Diaper Fairy" came and took away all of Carter's diapers. They're gone. For good. No more diapers for Carter. I chose to go the good'ole fashioned rubber pants route and they are definitely serving their purpose.

I have to say, he is doing really well. Over the past seven days, he has only had a few accidents, and I could count them on one hand. He has actually been keeping his pull-up dry during nap time and at night! I am thoroughly expecting a few periods of regression, but all-in-all, he's doing great!

I am so glad that he is out of diapers!

***UPDATE***

As of June 1 Carter is doing a wonderful job!!! There has only been a small handful of accidents. YES!!!

A Conversation With a Three Year Old

2009-05-02T21:08:00.004-04:00

Me: Carter! Ni Hao Kai Lan is coming on next. Yay!
Carter: No it's not.
Me: Um, yes it is Honey.
Carter: No it's not.
Me: Honey, are you arguing with me?
Carter: Uh-huh. Yes I am.
Me: Carter, it's not nice to argue with people.
Carter: Yes it is.
TV playing NOGGIN in the background: Ni Hao Kai Lan is coming up next.
Carter: See, told you Mommy.

I give up.

Trip to PA

2009-04-27T20:21:00.004-04:00

We took a trip to PA last weekend to visit with Dan's Nana, Uncle Bill and Aunt Eileen.

We stopped at IKEA on the way home to get the boys out of the car for a while. It was an interesting experience to say the least. Carter loved the peek-a-boo chair. Unfortunately, they were $80 a piece!

Squishy getting adjusted by the other Dr. Mudryk, Dan's uncle.

The boys had an absolute blast riding around in Nana's portable chair. It was a hoot!

Nana and Carter

Uncle Bill broke out the lawn mower.

Aunt Eileen and Carter

Dan, Carter and Uncle Bill went to a HUGE train museum. Carter was in Heaven!

Our "cool dudes" chilling in I-95 traffic. Ahhhh, I-95, isn't it just the best!?

He is Just So Cute!

2009-04-22T21:19:00.005-04:00

Carter says the cutest things sometimes. A few things are coming to mind and I didn't want to forget to make a note of them.

Every once in a while, Carter will get a surprised look on his face and say, "Oh! My ear just turned on". He says this when his ear must be ringing. :)

Tonight when I tucked him into bed, he told me that his elbow was broken and that he needed to see Dr. Horowitz...on a Sunday...during the Summer. Geesh! Anything to get a lollipop.

The other day Carter panicked and said that he had something in his eye. After rubbing it for a while and fluttering his eyelashes he calmly said, "Oh, never mind. It's just an eyeball". LOL

2009-04-17T10:15:00.004-04:00

"Oh, wait...my mistake. It's go ON the potty, not IN the potty. DOH!"

After the eggciting Easter egg hunt at Grammie's and Jaja's house Camden needed a break. We had a delicious ham dinner to round out our Easter festivities.

The Easter Bunny came!!! Oh, and how awfully tacky of him to leave the price tag on the Wall*E gift. Gees.

The Easter Bunny hid Carter's basket in a very high place. When we told Carter to look for it, he walked RIGHT to it and found it even though it was almost impossible for him to see. We couldn't believe it! I am so sorry we didn't get that on video. Either he is psychic, or the Easter Bunny talked to him in his dreams.

Dying the Easter eggs.

Hanging with our bestest friends, Auntie Fefes (Felicia), Savannah and Caroline.

I am so glad we have this swing set!

Easter Pictures

2009-04-11T21:08:00.000-04:00

Randomness

2009-04-05T21:21:00.005-04:00

Grammie came over for a birthday dinner and Camden helped her put on her slippers.

Carter built a train, complete with a smoke stack and tender.

The newest Craigslist find for the boys. They LOVE it! I am so excited about this. AND you can tell how bad our pollen is right now...check out all of those yellow spots!!! "Ahh-Choo!!!"

Nanna cuddling with the boys.

Camden, yes Camden, LOVES to go on the big boy potty. He started telling me the other day that he had to "poop" and he was trying to pull down his pants and knocking on the bathroom doorknob. I can't believe that our 15 month old might be potty trained before our 3 year old.

Daddy's home!!!

The boys "reading" the uses for Desitin. Great stuff.

"Cheese"

Wait, where'd you go? I can't see you...wait, let me get Grammie's glasses.

"Ahhhhhhh, that's better."

"Watch this!"

"Hey Doo!"

Aunt Heather's new van illustrated by the famous artiste Master Carter.

Squishy's Vocabulary

2009-03-30T13:51:00.004-04:00

Camden's vocabulary seems to grow by the day. He is parroting everything that he hears so he has come up with some pretty funny ways to say things. Here is a current list of some new words since the last list:

Car-Car (Cah-Cah)
Plane
sun
moon
Ouch
hot
Birdie (a.k.a "tweet")
doggie (a.k.a "whoo-whoo")
ball
bubbles
apple
mine! (used WAY too much- this is what he says when he wants something)
baby
elephant
kitty
horsey
fishy (one of his favorite words!)
flower
car
truck
tractor
paci (that ones an old one though)
poo-poo
lovey-dovey
and last but not least:
uh-oh spaghetti o's! (uh-oh blah-tha-blah-tha) *see video clip*
I can't think of anymore right now.

Picture Post

2009-03-28T16:00:00.009-04:00

This is Odwalla's Superfood juice. We call it "monster juice" so that the boys will think it is fun to drink. Look at the ingredients below, it's pretty gross! And, it is the worst green you could possibly imagine, kind of like chewed up grass. Oh, and it smells like blue-green algae. YUM! :)

Papa and Nana came for a visit the other weekend with their new doggie Lilly.

Camden loves to brush his teeth with Carter. It is SO much easier to teach him new things when he has Carter to copy. Monkey-see, Monkey-do is a common motto in our household.

Camden loves his grapes!

Chairs!

2009-03-20T15:32:00.003-04:00

This is what the boys like doing now that we have a nice smooth, shiny floor. It's more like an ice rink!

Carter

2009-03-15T19:47:00.003-04:00

Carter has been saying some pretty funny things lately. Two conversations that are fresh in my mind are below:

(While driving around running errands)

Me: Carter, do you want to move to New Zealand?
Carter: I want ice cream.

(Dan and I couldn't decide on dinner, so after debating back and forth, we decided to leave it up to Carter.)

Me: Carter, it's up to you buddy. Do you want Mexican or Chinese?
Carter: Neither.

Picture Post

2009-03-14T19:55:00.005-04:00

The boys playing with our "new" hand-me-down play gym.

Playing Elefun- catching butterflies

Squishy was bored and had to find ways to entertain himself while his big brother was busy taking a gymnastics class.

Carter went to the Little Gym for an hour long class of energy exertion. He LOVED it!

Camden loves to rock. He walks around saying, "rock-rock, rock-rock..." while climbing in and out of his rocking chair and his rocking dino.

Mwah!

The boys will make a "fort" out of anything.

Hmmmm..............

Camden LOVES to eat with utensils. He is SUCH a big boy now.

The New (for a while now!) Office

2009-03-10T15:56:00.005-04:00

I never did get around to posting pictures of the new office. So, for those of you who actually want to see it, here is a quick video that Dan made for his practice coach. Hang on though, it's a fast ride!

Floor Fiasco

2009-02-26T13:25:00.006-05:00

This is Ray, the carpet guy.

This is what Dan had to manage!!!
He had to move EVERYTHING from room to room in order to have the carpet installed.
Can you see why I am in awe of my awesomely wonderful husband!?!?!?!

Our old hardwoods right after Dan tore them out.

Dan getting the sub-flooring ready.

I will be posting some before and afters of the old/new flooring soon.

The Absolute BEST!!!

2009-02-25T13:07:00.002-05:00

I just need to say that Dan is absolutely amazing. He worked his butt off over the past few days to get this flooring in (he turned away our one volunteer [thank you Justin] because he thought he didn't need help). Everything had to be taken apart and moved around...beds, Cam's crib, all the furniture, everything in every closet...it was a disaster!!!

When I was starting to feel freaked out about the responsibility of the daunting task, he reassured me that he was in charge and that I didn't need to worry about anything, well besides the boys. The house looked like we had just moved in...literally. There was nothing that wasn't completely turned upside down. I will post pictures later.

When the boys and I came home yesterday, there was barely anything left that needed to be done. AND, he never complained ONCE! Thank you so much honey, you truly are the absolute best. I mean that.

What Have We Been Up To Lately You Ask!?

2009-02-20T17:23:00.004-05:00

We are currently accepting applications for ALL volunteer positions for this weekend's job.
Any takers? The pay is GREAT...FREE chiropractic care!!! :)
And I would also imagine there will be some free food involved.

Master Toilet

Master Bath

Upstairs Hallway

Bob the Builder (a.k.a Carter) passed out on the job
while installing our new floors. I wouldn't
recommend his work. ;)

Bob the Builder's employee was even worse! He passed out
on the job before the floor even got started! Again, I definitely
wouldn't recommend hiring Bob the Builder.

The flooring is being installed tomorrow and Sunday and our carpet is going to be installed on Sunday...we think. We are just looking forward to getting all of those mold spores out of our house! The new hard floors will make it easy to keep the floors clean and mold free!

Camden's a Big Boy

2009-02-15T14:45:00.004-05:00

We spent our Valentine's Day dinner with Dan's parents last night who were kind enough to have us over for dinner. While we were there, Camden showed all of us who is boss when it comes to using a fork! Grammie had set the table with a fork for Camden and without hesitation he picked it up and started using it. Up until then, we hadn't ever given him a chance to eat with a fork. I figured it would either end up in his eye or on the floor. He used a fork at lunch again today and he absolutely LOVES eating like a big boy! I feel so silly for not giving him a fork sooner.

And now for your enjoyment, a completely unrelated video of the boys:

Moldy Misery

2009-02-12T19:07:00.004-05:00

As most of you know by now, we have been dealing with our fair share of sicknesses over the past year and a half. The boys and I have had constant respiratory upset with the boys coughing pretty severely for a while now. Carter and I had developed asthma (the reason for the ER visit) and Carter was no longer able to run around and play without coughing and wheezing. Both Carter and Camden were on antibiotics back and forth for months with ear infections and Carter was starting to complain about headaches. We were all tired (no, lethargic) and terribly cranky....we just didn't feel good, at all!!! My friends were starting to notice that Carter was no longer a happy-go-lucky boy, and was looking pale and acting quite sickly and poor Camden seemed to come home from the hospital sick.

Now, as you can imagine, having your two babies so sick, for so long has been so devastating. We kept asking ourselves, "Why on earth are they so unhealthy?". We figured they were going from one cold to the next, but why was Dan never sick!?!?

After constant coughing, runny/stuffy noses, breathlessness and countless trips to the doctor for strange fevers, coughs and alleged allergies, I insisted that we test the air quality in our house. I had long suspected mold/mildew being a culprit. I had noticed that when the kids and I left the house, I never had to wipe their noses and their coughs would get better. Luckily, Dan has a patient who is an environmentalist who came out to the house and sent away air samples to a lab. The air inside your home should house no more than 50-80% of the mold levels seen outside the home depending on the season. With the dry, cold season upon us, we shouldn't see more than 50%. The levels outside our front porch were found to be 250 of Aspergillus Penicillium so we expected to see no more than 125 inside. Well, the count found by the lab was 2,100.

WE FOUND IT!!! We figured out what has been making us all so darn sick. But, the problem was...where was it coming from? The environmentalist feared that it was harboring in our walls and ceilings which would require invasive searching. After tearing up some flooring and finding nothing, Dan, being a super-smart guy, thought to look in our AC unit on the coils and found quite a bit of mold growth. So, for the whole time the mold had been there, everytime the air or heat turned on, mold spores were pouring into the house.

The AC guy came out to our house the next day and cleaned the coils, we aired out the house and purchased several air purifiers. Like someone flipping a switch, all of our symptoms were gone. Just like that. No more runny noses, NO MORE COUGH (the boys had coughed for a solid YEAR!) and no more asthma. Dan wasn't displaying any symptoms because he wasn't in the house all day long. It was a bit of a viscious cycle for the boys and me though, because we never felt well, we never left the house!

I am still suffering from headaches and sinus issues, but the mold actually grows inside your body, so it will take a while for us all to be feeling 100%. We are so relieved to finally have the boys feeling better. Carter is acting like a three year old again and Camden is giggling more and they are both enjoying life now!!!

The only bad news is we need to replace all the flooring in our house (because of the mold spores) and our HVAC system needs to be replaced as well.

Squishy

2009-02-01T07:46:00.006-05:00

Squishy has been talking quite a bit. Here are a few things he is saying on a regular basis:

cheese (he calls most foods cheese)
doggy
thank you
please
shhhhhhhh
see-saw
cup
there it is
what's that?
hot
juice
kiss
stinky
sticky (he thinks this word is hilarious and giggles when he hears it)
weeeeeee
hmmmm (as in thinking)
mmmmmmmm yummy

The Great Snow of 2009

2009-01-24T19:44:00.004-05:00

Carter

2009-01-13T22:07:00.003-05:00

The other night at dinner, Carter started balancing his spoon on his mouth.
He is very talented. He did it more than once, we still can't figure out how he did it.

Carter's new favorite pastime is putting "cover up" on his face.
When I caught him he said, "I'm just like you Mommy, I'm just like you!"
When I acted disappointed and told him not to do it again, he said,
"That's okay Mommy".
He has already done it again...

Carter's 3rd Birthday

2009-01-13T21:36:00.006-05:00

Carter's bestest friend ever! Savannah playing pin the eyes on the Lightning.

The gang.

Aunt Heather

Auntie Fefes

The new ride.

What? Cake? I really don't know what you are talking about.

Aunt Chrissy, Uncle Jeff, Aunt Heather and Uncle Eric getting silly.

Happy 3 rd Birthday Carter!!!

2009-01-09T11:33:00.002-05:00

Happy Birthday Carter, we LOVE you!!!

Snissors

2009-01-06T19:32:00.004-05:00

Carter loves to play with Play-doh and has quite a few Play-doh accessories to play with. His favorite accessory, is a pair of scissors to "cut" the dough. When asking for his scissors, he says, "Can you pass my snissors please Mommy?".

A few things I keep forgetting to write about; Carter LOVES to sing and knows quite a few songs and our Camden LOVES music and loves to dance! When Camden hears any kind of beat, he starts bopping around. Sometimes he sits perfectly still and only moves one shoulder up and down, it's hilarious! So, we expect that our boys may be the next "Jonas brothers".

Ssssss-gat? That's a Ticket

2008-12-29T20:07:00.007-05:00

My mom visited with us over the weekend, and before leaving she decided to give Carter 5 $1 bills. She was hoping that he could spend his money at the gift shop later in the day when Dan took him to the Planetarium in Chapel Hill. Until then, I could honestly tell you Carter couldn't care less about money.

He was so cute. He walked around the house showing everyone his "tickets". He would give me a dollar and tell me, "Here's your ticket Mommy". He spent his tickets on a magnifying glass, a flashlight and a small dinosaur. Pretty good for $5, huh?

Carter will be turning 3 on the 9th of January, and he continues to amaze me with his antics. He acts like such a little man with the things he says. He loves to come up to us slowly, stroke our face while looking into our eyes, and saying "I love you" and then he places the most gentle kiss on our face. It's so sweet.

Camden is growing cuter and cuter by the day, if that's even possible! (I'm partial) He has just gotten his seventh tooth (ouch!) and he is starting to talk quite a bit and he points to everything. He practices using sign language to communicate with us a bit, which helps! He takes in the world around him by asking "Ssssss-gat", "Dat" and "Gat" which all mean "what's that?" while pointing to various objects. His other words include "Bee-bee" (baby), cup, and of course Mommy and Daddy. In addition to talking, unfortunately, Camden has also started to throw hints of temper tantrums. I am not looking forward to this faze in his life.

We love our boys!!!

9-1-1

2008-12-26T16:50:00.005-05:00

You know that number that we all had to practice dialing when we turned three years old? The one that was marked with nail polish on all of our phone pads? Well, I had to dial that number earlier today.

I left the boys (for 2 SECONDS) playing on our living room futon to run into the kitchen real quick. I had just gotten some eggs out of the fridge when I heard a very loud thud come from the other room. I didn't panic at first, because I just assumed that Carter was jumping off of the furniture again, but when I asked Carter what happened I heard Camden making a weird noise.

I ran into the other room to find Camden lying face down on the carpet making a horrible moaning sound. Normally when he gets hurt, he runs to me screaming and crying, but he just laid there moaning. I scooped him up and his neck was limp and his head was flopping around. Afraid his neck was broken, I immediately held him close to my chest and waited a few seconds. When I tried sitting him up again, his head fell forward. Terrified that his neck was broken for sure, I picked up the phone and dialed 911.

I was so petrified that my whole body was shaking uncontrollably, and I could barely talk to the dispatcher because the phone was vibrating against my ear so badly. All I could think about was my poor baby being paralyzed for the rest of his life because his Mommy left him on the couch for 2 seconds. I would never have been able to forgive myself. I was so terrified that all of our lives had been changed forever. I held Camden tightly against my body to immobilize his neck and after about 5 minutes or so the EMS workers arrived. By the time they were in the house to examine him, he had regained control of his neck.

It appears that he went into shock after the trauma from the fall, and was either about to pass out, or temporarily lost control of his muscles. We just don't know. Dan x-rayed his neck and it looked fine.

Writing about this is making me feel sick all over again. It was the absolute SCARIEST moment of my life. With a visit to the ER the other week, and now this, I can't help but feel that our "sick scares" are over for now. They better be!

We are so, so very grateful for Camden's quick recovery, and are so thankful to the LORD for keeping him safe.

This is the Holly Springs EMS truck that arrived. Stretcher and all...

Looking back, I am slightly emarrassed for "wasting" their time, but I am so glad that it was a waste. AND, as a Mommy, I was not going to take any chances.

Christmas

2008-12-26T15:44:00.005-05:00

The "BEST PRESENT EVER" was waiting under the tree for Carter on Christmas morning. He has been asking for the Polar Express all year long. We can't wait to have this train around the tree for years to come. It is a serious Lionel train, and the engine itself ways around 10 pounds!
He LOVES it!!!

Camden's favorite present of the morning was a hairbrush that he actually gave to me! He always steals the brushes in the house and hides them, so Dan got me a new set. All the toys, and all he wanted was the hairbrush. Note to self: save money next year.

Dan's parents enjoyed the Christmas morning with us at our house.

After lunch, we headed to my sister Laura's house for some family time with my family.

Carter really enjoyed playing with his cousins this year.

On The Mend

2008-12-21T21:40:00.002-05:00

After being sick with a high fever (104.5) off and on for a whole week, we finally took Carter back to the doctor on Saturday. After an ER visit and two trips to the doctor, we were afraid that he had developed pneumonia. The doctor we saw on Saturday was concerned about pneumonia as well and was about to send Carter to get a chest X-ray. Then he decided to look into Carter's ears and he discovered a severe ear infection. So, the ear infection was causing him to feel so miserable and to run the fever. The doctor told me that it was the worst ear infection he has seen in a long time and he prescribed an antibiotic to treat his ear and any pneumonia.

The conclusion is that whatever this "thing" is that made us all so sick caused Carter to have an asthma attack and a bad ear infection. Carter is still coughing, but is a totally different child now that he has had a few doses of antibiotics. Camden is coughing and awfully fussy, but seems to be getting better and Dan wasn't effected nearly as bad as the rest of us and is feeling better already.

I am so glad that it looks like we are all going to be able to enjoy a healthy Christmas. I hear Santa has a few goodies up his sleeve!

Some Holiday Cheer

2008-12-20T21:52:00.002-05:00

Click here to create your own video

Family Portraits

2008-12-19T21:23:00.003-05:00

We had our family portraits done last weekend and had the boys 3 year and 1 year photos taken as well. A patient of Dan's has a husband who is a photographer and he has a studio in his home. We think he did a great job!

Good Grief

2008-12-17T08:01:00.002-05:00

The past few mornings I keep waking up, not only hoping, but expecting to feel much better than the day before. No such luck. It seems like we are all getting worse. We had to take Carter to the doctor yesterday because of a high fever (104.3) that wouldn't stop and back pain. Carter was also suffering from a frequent spasmodic cough resulting in vomiting. The doctor put him on steroids for his cough and he said we "might" have the flu. I am inclined to agree.

I haven't felt this bad in a long time, and Camden's cough is getting worse. After being stricken with a very untimely episode of insomnia last night, I am officially down for the count. I hope the boys can take care of themselves today! Oh, and the laundry....and the meals....and the baths....

Our First Trip to the ER!!!

2008-12-15T08:44:00.005-05:00

Dan tucked Carter into bed around 9:00 last night and he and I settled into bed ourselves. Around 9:45, we heard a strange noise coming from his room and Dan got up to investigate. Over the monitor, I heard Dan say, "He can't breathe!". I assumed Dan was having a "Drama Queen" moment, and I tentatively wandered down the hall.

Carter was wheezing very badly and was unable to get any air in. He was coughing and throwing up. It was super scary! We gave him some of an inhaler that he had been given previously for another cold he had and called a neighbor (God bless you Mrs. M!!!) to come over and stay with Camden. All I could think about was whooping cough!

Our neighbor arrived and made us aware that she had just taken a pain killer for her ankle that she had surgery on. So, needless to say, she was very tired. Being the nervous Nelly that I am, I was afraid that she would be too tired to hear Camden if he needed her. But, Dan and I scrambled out the door to take Carter to the ER.

Once there, I called home to make sure that our neighbor was doing okay and she told me that Camden sounded really sick, and that I should probably come home and take him to the ER as well. So, I left Dan and Carter at the hospital and sped home.

Luckily, Camden only had a cough and was breathing just fine. I put Camden in the van and picked the boys up at 1:00am from the hospital. I sat in the bathroom with Carter, for a while, so he could get some steam from the hot shower running and we all settled into bed once again. Around 3:00am, Dan heard a noise from Carter's room and went in to check on him. He was draped over the end of his bed having a hard time breathing again. We gave him the inhaler again, and he spent the rest of the night with us.

The verdict? Croup. We thought maybe it was an allergy, but it looks more like he has croup. So after a scary, and very sleepless night, we are all in good spirits today even though we are all very sick. Thank GOD for Harris Teeter's Express Lane. If it weren't for them, we would all starve! I hope we don't ever have to go back to the ER.

Weeeeeeeeee

2008-12-06T23:22:00.002-05:00

We all went to the mall today, and while we were there we enjoyed the carousel. Camden was so excited, the whole time we were waiting he said, "Weeeeeee, weeeeeee, weeeeeeee". It was very cute. Carter was chomping on the bit the whole time we waited. He couldn't get on fast enough!
a

Christmas Has Come

2008-12-05T22:41:00.005-05:00

Tonight we finally decorated our tree. We have been trying to decorate for sometime now, but we have been too busy. Christmas music played in the background, and we took our time. No one even picked a fight!

The weird thing is, as excited as Carter was to hang the candy canes, he now won't go anywhere near the tree. We just can't figure out why he is afraid of it. The only thing I can think of is that he might think Santa is coming now and he is a little fearful of the Big Man. He doesn't quite get it.

On another totally different note, we are night weaning Camden starting tonight. We need all the prayers we can get! He was waking up every hour to two hours, and this Mommy is way too tired to keep it up. It is now almost 11:00pm and he has been crying for an hour. Dan has been going in to comfort him, but he only settles down for a few minutes. He is determined, that's for sure. I must not give in, I must not give in, I must not give in, I must not give in...

Let There Be Art

2008-12-05T09:44:00.008-05:00

So I have decided to foster the artistic side of myself. This has proven to be quite difficult, however, with the boys bouncing around me constantly. After years of "writer's block", I would like to finally create! I made this from a picture of Camden at his birthday party. I even have a shop online!

Beautiful

2008-12-04T11:02:00.001-05:00

It's official. My Carter told me this morning at 10:56 am that I am beautiful. He has been telling me for quite a while now that he loves me, but today was a first. Carter came to give me a long hug and said, "Mommy, you're beautiful. You're my best friend". *Sniff, sniff*

Camden's FIRST Birthday Party

2008-12-01T19:57:00.008-05:00

The cake

Cousin Seth

Getting ready for some cake!

He didn't like his hands all messy.

Auntie Fefes (Felicia) helping with the hat.

Savannah, Carter and Gabriel were there to help.

JaJa

Aunt Laura, Aunt Heather and Grammie

Aunt Heather

"Uncle" Jeff and "Aunt" Chrissy

This is why Auntie Fefes bought a new lawn mower for Camden.
Now, the boys each have one, and they follow each other around the house and copy each other.

Camden surveying some of the damage.

Camden is our little comedian. He loves to laugh and make us laugh! He is starting to talk and says, "gat" and "sss-gat", which is his why of saying "what's that?". He points to everything and asks what it is and so far has mastered the location of lights, the fans and his balloons. I also swear he is starting to say "Ca" for Carter. When I ask him where Carter is I hear a little "Ca". Camden sure does love music! Whenever he hears even a hint of a musical beat, he starts dancing. He sways his shoulders back and forth and bends at the knees moving up and down. It is so darn cute I can't stand it. Carter is a great big brother, and the two of them run around the house and giggle all day long (In between some power struggles here and there...to be expected). We are so lucky! :) Camden is my little "barnacle" and loves to cuddle. He is definitely a full blown Mommy's boy.

Thanksgiving

2008-12-01T19:47:00.004-05:00

We spent our Thanksgiving with Grammie and JaJa (Dan's parents) at the Angus Barn again this year. It was nice, but I am planning on a more traditional (slave in the kitchen all day for 10 minutes worth of eating) Thanksgiving next year. I feel that the boys are old enough now that we should start more of a family tradition with memories.

Dan surprised me the other evening with this beautiful boquet of flowers.

HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY SQUISHY!!!

2008-11-29T19:23:00.001-05:00

We cannot believe that a year has already passed. You have made our lives so happy and fun! We love you sweetheart, more than you could ever imagine!!!

Carterisms

2008-11-20T21:21:00.003-05:00

In between his temper-tantrums and completely unpredictable mood swings, Carter is one of the neatest kids I have ever met. Dan and I were talking about some of the cute things he says and does, and I wanted to make sure we didn't forget how fun he is.

If I pick-up something that I have previously deemed as "Daddy's", I am immediately called on it by him. "No, no Mommy, that's Daddy's put that down" (as he takes away the item and places it back from where I originally picked it up).
Today while at the mall, I told him we were going to go into the KB Toy store to pick out a special present for going poo-poo on the potty. He followed me half-way into the store and then turned his body and said, "Okay, look. Mommy, you go and pick it out. I'm going to go over here and watch the train. Okay?". The funny part was the way he negotiated everyone's proper places by pointing and using body language. He might be a lawyer one day. A good lawyer though. :)
When we go into someone's home or into a store, Carter is always quick to remind me, "Mommy, don't touch! That's not ours. Don't touch, okay?".

Vroom, Vroom

2008-11-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

New Hope Valley Railway

2008-11-19T16:17:00.005-05:00

We were able to go for a ride on the steam train located in New Hill, NC at the New Hope Valley Railway a few weekends ago. Carter is completely obsessed with trains, but fun was had by all of us. Even Camden enjoyed it. The weather was beautiful. It was just a perfect day!

Visit to Nanna and Papa's House

2008-11-12T16:44:00.005-05:00

The boys and I traveled to my parents' house in the mountains of east Tennessee right before Halloween. While we were there, my sister Heather and her son Gabrielle came for a visit. It was a full house, but still lots of fun!

Papa set up his choo-choo train for the boys to enjoy.

The two little monkeys!

Mom putting the Ergo to good use.

My brother David and his friend Kaitlin.

Do you think we should take him to the dentist?

The boys "fighting" over the Lightning McQueen bed that Nanna had for Carter.
They loved it!

Camden won! This round at least...

Ahhhhhhhhhh, So Nice

2008-11-06T20:38:00.002-05:00

I am loving life right now for a few reasons. First, we got our carpets cleaned yesterday. I mean REALLY cleaned. The guys that came from G&J Carpet Cleaners were serious carpet cleaners. They made me quickly realize that the last guy that came to clean our carpets was just doing so as a hobby on the side. The guys at G&J meant business. They came in and moved all of our furniture and left the corners of everything (including changing tables and train tables) up on Styrofoam blocks. It was incredible. Our carpet, which is over ten years old by the way, actually looked NEW when they left. They even combed it with a special comb to fluff the fibers back up. They were here for quite a while and still charged under $200 for the whole house.

Second, Dan has a patient that cleans houses. He had her come to our house this morning to clean and boy did she clean. She showed up with four other people with ladders, mops, buckets, and they were here for four hours! And no, my house wasn't THAT nasty, they just cleaned THAT well. They cleaned my silverware drawers, the inside of the fridge, all of the appliances, light fixtures, windows, blinds, pictures... I mean there isn't a speck of dirt or dust in this whole house! It was kind of funny, before I even had time to get the boys' shoes on, one lady had her head in the oven already, and there were two ladies cleaning the upstairs windows. Ahhhhhh, it's so nice. Thank you Honey, you are the best! I feel like I can breathe again. I wish we could do this every month! Dan said maybe once a year. :)-

Halloween Pictures

2008-10-31T21:17:00.009-04:00

Halloween

2008-10-30T21:03:00.005-04:00

Carter LOVES Halloween this year. He just can't get enough! He asks to go to Target and Wal-mart so we can look at decorations and hollers from the backseat of the car every time we pass a house with Halloween decor . While we were visiting with my family last week, we drove by an old cemetery complete with rotting, crooked, and scary tombstones. My Mom and I heard Carter shout from the backseat, "Decorations!!!". We didn't know what he was talking about until we saw the cemetery. It was too funny.

Uncle Jeff and Aunt Chrissy came over tonight to surprise us with shirts for the boys that Chrissy had made. Carter wanted to wear his to bed! He loves it, thanks Chrissy!!!

Carter wanted to go for a walk every night just so we could walk around and see all the Halloween decorations in our neighborhood. So, I decided to create a graveyard for him in our front yard complete with a strobe light. He has no idea it's "scary".

We went to Hillridge Farms in Youngsville, NC to enjoy a hayride and to pick a pumpkin.

They had a HUGEmongous slide there that Carter went down a dozen times with Grammie.

Our favorite part of all was the GIANT sand box made with corn instead of sand. It was so much fun! We were picking corn out of all sorts of nooks and crannies for days afterward.

Carter helping us carve his "very scary" pumpkin. When we were done, he was disappointed because "the face was nice and not too scary".

Cam Cam Walking

2008-10-26T11:54:00.002-04:00

The Little Gym

2008-10-19T16:44:00.004-04:00

I am part of a stay at home Mom's meet-up group in my area, and there are scheduled events everyday! Last week, we had the chance to try out our local Little Gym. The boys loved it! I need to sign them up for classes so we can go every week.

Camden is WALKING!

2008-10-12T09:58:00.004-04:00

Now that we are all starting to feel better, I must get this posted! This entry is L O N G overdue but Camden officially has his two front teeth (and the two on the side for a grand total of four top teeth!), and he is WALKING!
He has been taking a few steps here and a few steps there for a while now, but four days ago he took around 8 steps before he decided crawling was more fun. He was standing with a toy in his hand and while looking down at it, just started walking. I don't think he even knew what he was doing. But, now he is walking for stretches at a time. He acts like he gets bored with it, and starts crawling again.
Carter likes to crawl around the floor with him, so he probably thinks crawling is more fun! I will post pictures of our new upright biped soon.

We Are All Sick!

2008-10-10T20:10:00.005-04:00

Serious prayers are needed. Camden is still throwing up on day four and now Dan is sick. This intestinal/stomach bug is a doosey. I have had a pretty hard time taking care of two sick kids while getting sick myself. Thank the Lord Carter is feeling better. This is NOT pretty.

2008-10-06T18:53:00.003-04:00

I was cleaning the kitchen when I heard Carter cry out with delight, "Look, Mommy! I drew a whale!". Does he have talent, or what.

We were treated to a spectacular cloud and light show the other night. The sky was glowing with magenta, blue and orange "cotton balls".

Hanging out at Henrypalooza to support our friends CC and Stephen who are trying to raise money to bring their adopted son home from China.

"CHEESE"

There is nothing we can't accomplish in life with a little extra help from our big brother.

Ten Months Old

2008-10-03T22:42:00.008-04:00

Our Squishy is now officially ten months old. He is sporting a mouthful of five teeth, an adorable 50's style hair curl and a deliciously chubby booty (only Moms get to say things like that!). Camden has started walking behind his push toys and has taken a few steps here and there on his own. He thoroughly enjoys every minute of chasing Carter around the house. The two of them get into such trouble...and Cam is the instigator! When we go to the playground, his favorite thing is the swing. He cries when I have to take him out. He loves it! His favorite fruit is pears and he also loves freeze dried apple slices from Wholefoods. His favorite veggie? None other than the coveted sweet potato.

Picture Post

2008-09-30T10:38:00.000-04:00

Our Budding Photographer

2008-09-27T20:42:00.004-04:00

Carter has proven himself to be quite the upcoming little photographer.
Here is a sampling of his artistic work:

Award Winner:

Two New Teeth and a Few Steps

2008-09-19T15:47:00.003-04:00

Daddy took the boys to the playground today.

Camden has two new teeth, finally! He has been working on them for quite some time now, poor little guy. His top four teeth have all been threatening to come in for a while, but the two on the sides beat his two front teeth which are close behind.

Camden has also taken a few steps here and there. Grammie and Jaja had him walking a little bit while Dan and I were at church last Sunday and when I walk away from him, he tries to follow me by taking a step or two before falling on his hiney. It is the cutest thing, he will stand up, look around, find where he wants to go, and just stand there thinking about making a run for it. We are sure the day where he just stands up and takes off is right around the corner!

Picture Post

2008-09-08T20:40:00.007-04:00

What'cha doing Papa?

B-E-D HEAD!

Super Carter!!!

Hanging out with Nah-Nah

Aunt Laura

Playing at Grammie's

"Oh my gosh!"

Snake and Exotic Animal Show

2008-09-05T12:25:00.004-04:00

We ventured out to the fairgrounds last weekend to check out the Snake and Exotic Animal Show that was there. It was PACKED! There were four other huge shows going on in addition to the flea market always held on the weekends.

There were tons of snakes. I mean TONS! We had no idea that you could even put that many snakes under one roof. There were crocodiles, chameleons, all sorts of lizards, birds, llamas, monkeys, ponies, a camel, rare rain forest dwellers and even a skunk! Carter had fun, but it was a little overwhelming for him to take it all in.

Carter even got to ride the camel!!!

Here is Archie the skunk. Carter said he was stinky.

Some Seriously Unwanted House Guests

2008-09-01T20:19:00.004-04:00

A closeup of our pesky house guests.

We started our Labor Day off with grand plans to achieve a few chores that were needing to be done around the house. One of the tasks that Dan wanted to get done was to tear off the back splash piece behind our kitchen sink. It had started bowing, and Dan wanted to press it flat and re-glue it.

Now, backing up a bit. Carter and I have been having strange cold symptoms for a while now. I have realized that we don't have a cold, because we have been congested and suffering from a strange cough for more than three months or so now. I have insisted to Dan that there is mold and mildew somewhere in the house for a while now making us sick.

My instincts were right, the back splash was covered in mild and mildew. Ewwwww! Needless to say we had fun cleaning up the mold and mildew farm and our kitchen was a complete mess. I am hoping now that we have found a source of spores, Carter and I will start feeling better. I already feel like I can breathe better. Ah, the power of suggestion. It does make sense to me though now, because Carter and I are home all day, and usually in the kitchen, we have been exposed to it. But, since Dan is at work all day, he never seemed to suffer form our ailment.

9 Months Old Today!

2008-08-29T10:54:00.006-04:00

Our Camden is 9 months old today. He currently has 2 teeth on the bottom, with 4 coming in ALL at once on the top! He loves to play with his big brother and has recently discovered the joy in torturing Oreo. He is one happy little guy, he laughs all the time and pretty much smiles constantly.

He stands on his own, and is dancing on a regular basis now. He loves to scream, make raspberries and he makes the most adorable sound with his cute little voice while flicking his tongue back and forth. We enjoy hearing his little gah-gahs, bah-bahs and goo-goos, and we have even been treated to a few priceless Ma-mas and Da-das.

Oh yeah! I almost forgot to mention that he is still putting everything in his mouth, but he is also enjoying the occasional banana and jar of baby food. He is like a baby bird when he sees the three of us sit at the dinner table. He crawls over as fast as he can and starts begging. He really enjoys eating! So, now we always put him in his hair chair to join us. This is how it should always have been, but if he had already eaten, I was wanting him to be able to play. But, he would rather sit with us and eat the occasional nibblet.

He also has fingernails like mini Samurai swords, and he knows how to use them! I hope he doesn't discover this talent later in life when he needs to defend himself against his big brother. ;) They hurt!

One thing I always forget to mention is the fact that Camden loves using straws. Ever since he mastered the art of "straw sucking", at the ripe old age of 5 months, he has stolen Carter's sipping cup from him on a regular basis. We think it's cute, Carter does not!

Well, It's Official

2008-08-27T17:39:00.006-04:00

This is what it looks like right now

We officially have a new office location! Our (well, Dan's) new office is located closer to the highway and will be more convenient for his patients. After toiling with tons of ideas and many pondering, sleepless nights, it came down to the wire this afternoon. We had 15 minutes or so to pick and buy paint colors. Let's hope they look good on the walls!

What Was That Noise?

2008-08-27T17:26:00.005-04:00

Carter is still enjoying a few new favorite phrases, including; "I can't!" (used strategically when told to start getting ready for bed), "Um, no thanks" (his favorite when asked if he would like some green beans), "What was that noise?" (used when ever he a. hears something or b. he has nothing better to say - this one can get on our nerves a little bit), "There's a dinosaur chasing me!", "Can't find me", his ultimate, all time favorite..."Watch me Mommy, watch me...look at me!", and just about anything he can repeat a few hundred times in a given day.

Camden started dancing yesterday. I will have to get it on video, it is so super cute. He bops along to anything with a beat, including my botched attempts at singing!

He also waved, or tried to wave, for the first time today. His JaJa waved hello to him, and he copied. He is growing up so fast!

Fireman Squishy

2008-08-24T21:06:00.001-04:00

Carter put his fireman hat on Squish tonight and he absolutely loved it! As soon as we put the hat onto his head, he started giggling, smiling and crawling around the house just as happy as could be. It was so cute!

My friend Felicia and her girls came over to play the other day, and Camden had fun flirting with baby Caroline. She is his new girlfriend!

Woofing

2008-08-23T21:25:00.004-04:00

Carter says the funniest things. We just love to hear what he has to say everyday. He was outside playing with Oreo the other day, and when I asked him what he was doing, he replied, "I'm woofing with Oreo".

His new favorite saying is "No it's not".
Me: Carter, is the sky blue?
Carter: No it's not.
Me: Carter, you silly boy, of course the sky is blue.
Carter: No it's not.

He also loves to misuse the word, sometimes.
Me: Carter, come over here and play with your trains with me.
Carter: Coming Mommy.
(Carter arrives)
Me: Hey buddy.
Carter: Hey, Mommy?
Me: Yes sweetheart?
Carter: Sometimes?

He is also one polite little boy. If you ask him if he would like something, he is always saying "Um, no thank you".

I was frantically cleaning the house the other morning because there were things strewn everywhere. The kitchen was a disaster area and needed straightening up badly. As I started cleaning the house, I told Carter I couldn't play with him at the moment because the house was a mess. He looked puzzled for a second and then said, "Mommy, the house isn't a mess. The kitchen is a mess". He is just so darn cute, I can't stand it! :)

Carter's New Do!

2008-08-15T16:46:00.004-04:00

Carter got himself into a bit of trouble regarding his hair recently. So, it had to go! Here are some pictures of his beautiful, in a Sinead O'Conner way, haircut.
We Love You Carter!!!

BEFORE

AFTER!

I gave him a nice, summer, bigboy buzz.
He was so proud of it once I was done.
I was so relieved.

Ring Around the Rosie

2008-08-13T20:14:00.002-04:00

Our little Cam Cam has been positively miserable these past few days. He woke up with a fever on Sunday morning, and the 103.5 temp continued for three days. He was so out of it. At first we thought he was teething, but once the fever lasted for three days, we knew something else was going on. I have been very concerned about him. The two of us have been spending these past few nights cuddling with each other. He didn't want to be put down, he only wanted to be held and rocked. He has even been refusing feeds, which is not good. Tonight I noticed a rash spreading up his belly and onto his neck.

High fever for three days? Then breaking out into a rash? Roseola would be the correct diagnosis. Thanks Mom! It is so nice to have a pediatric nurse for a mother.

So our Camden has the "three day measles". This is why I haven't called for a play date this week Christine!

Please help us pray for a speedy recovery for our sweet little baby.

Sunday Blues

2008-08-10T19:29:00.003-04:00

My Mom just left after a nice three day visit. I miss her already!!! She is so extremely helpful when she visits. She helps me around the house, does the laundry (folds AND puts away!), and takes over caring for the boys. She rocks! It had been almost four months since we have seen her, so it was a VERY welcome visit. As you can imagine Camden had changed quite a bit since she had seen him last. I just hope it isn't another four months before we see her again. Mom, if you are reading this...PLEASE COME BACK!!! :)

I NEED Sugar

2008-08-06T20:03:00.004-04:00

When Carter was a baby, we promised ourselves that Carter wouldn't have sugar for many years to come. However, through the miscellaneous innocent samplings of ice cream (Grammie!) and the "right of passage" gifts of lollipops (Papa!), Carter has became all too aware of sugar.

I try very hard to educate him about the negative health effects of sugar and how there are many other, better, options out there for snacks and meals. I taught him that "sugar" here in the south means hugs and kisses. So, lately when the word sugar comes up in our house I shower him with hugs and kisses. Being a smart two year old, he has picked up on this quickly. Now, when he says he "needs" sugar, he says, "I need sugar...I need to eat it Mommy. I want to put it in my mouth". I guess it would be really hard to teach him to eat hugs and kisses. Sigh, I digress.

What's Happening With Us

2008-08-02T19:56:00.003-04:00

Just a few updates, it has been kind of hard to blog with the boys keeping me so busy! Not much is going on with us. Dan was hoping to have found a new space for his office by now, so we are a little disappointed that we haven't found a space yet. The office is keeping him very busy, he is working very hard at the office, and then he has to come home and work hard! I expect him to help with the boys, but he also has MORE work to do while he is at home. So, he pretty much never gets a break. He also puts Carter to bed almost every night, which is a tremendous help.

Carter is a WONDERFUL big brother. We couldn't have asked for a better situation. He is very patient with Camden, and is working hard on learning to share his toys. If he takes one away from Camden, he is to immediately give him a new toy, his choice, so that way Camden doesn't find something else Carter has to take away. Carter enjoys feeding Cam, and loves to take care of him. If Cam is going towards Oreo's water or food, he screams out "Squishy is in trouble... help... help... Mommy... Squishy... water...!!!". It's too cute. However, it is only a matter of time before we are teaching him not to be a little tattle-tale, poor Carter. :)

Camden continues to delight us with his bubbly personality. He is always smiling, but can be very intense if something doesn't go his way. If Carter takes something away from him, he turns bright red immediately and lets out quite a holler. He is enjoying trying all sorts of new foods, but at this time, he and I are suffering from a thrush infection so I have been holding off on most foods lately. We are expecting two new upper teeth any day now, so between those and his thrush, his mouth is a little hostile at the moment. Camden spends most of his day following me around the house and playing with his big brother.

Me? Well, I am just busy being a Mommy.

More Pictures

2008-08-02T16:07:00.001-04:00

Picture Post

2008-08-01T10:43:00.002-04:00

We can't believe our Squish is already 8 months old! Carter and Camden continue to amaze us with how fast they are turning into little boys. They are our little sunshines.

Our Squishy

2008-07-23T21:54:00.004-04:00

I just wanted to let everyone know what a joy Camden is. He is just such a little sunshine! He loves his Mommy too, boy let me tell you. He follows me EVERYWHERE! He is always giggling and smiling and we just love having him around, he is so much fun. I love my Squishy!!!

Cute Story

2008-07-23T17:04:00.002-04:00

The other day I had to put Carter "in charge of watching" Camden while I ran into the other room to grab some laundry. They were playing in our Master bedroom. When I came back, I found them both in the bathroom exploring. Carter was opening each drawer and explaining to Camden what was in it and who's drawer it was. "This is Daddy's drawer with his brush and this is Mommy's drawer with her brush, okay?". Camden just sat on the floor looking up at Carter and listening as though he understood. Carter is SUCH a wonderful big brother. Camden is super lucky!

Number Two, Number Two and a First

2008-07-18T20:07:00.006-04:00

Well, Carter FINALLY did it. He finally went number two on the big boy potty. I was so super proud of him. He earned himself a brand spank'in new Culdee and the Apple Orchard Cars from Thomas and Friends. He was so determined to go when he knew what the treat would be. He tried with all his might...and it worked! Yay CARTER! We are so proud of you.
As for the second, second...Camden has his second tooth! I realized his lower, middle left tooth has finally broken through. Phew, poor guy, that was a toughy for him. The first one, the one on the right, seemed to breeze right on through effortlessly.
The boys took their first real bath together. They thoroughly loved it, and they bathe together now every bath. So there you have it...just a bunch of firsts and seconds going on with us.

Our New Wheels

2008-07-09T21:35:00.005-04:00

Dan and I went to a local bike shop yesterday and picked up a new bike for us to ride. I have a bike, but it is 15 years old! So, needless to say, it was time. I really want to start riding again, so I am very excited. I just took it for a quick spin and I love, Love, LOVE it! It really is amazing how darn efficient bikes are as a mode of transportation.
Dan's brother has a bike, that is similar, that I rode while we were up in Cleveland and I was reminded about how much I like riding. I am looking forward to when the boys are old enough to ride bikes so we can all go as a family.

The Tooth Hurts

2008-07-07T10:39:00.004-04:00

We had to stop several times to calm Camden down on the way home from Ohio. It appeared as though he has another tooth about to erupt and it was making him extremely fussy! We had to exit off the highway and go find a drugstore to get some Orajel to help with the pain.

BEFORE ORAJEL:

AFTER ORAJEL:

Our Trip to Ohio

2008-07-06T22:04:00.004-04:00

We went out on Dan's brother's yacht on the 4th. We had a front row seat for the fireworks in downtown Cleveland and all the other towns along Lake Erie. It was an incredible show. The only downfall were the ocean like swells rocking the yacht back and forth at 30 degree angles. We were all falling all over the place, kind of funny!

Carter driving the yacht.

The Cleveland Yacht Club was treated to a beautiful sunset. It was absolutely amazing!

Camden trying out John's boyscout hat.

Carter's first roller coaster ride with Daddy and cousins Kira and John.

Carter had so much fun at the Kiddie Park. He was so upset when we had to leave. I really wish we had one of those in our area. Any one interested in investing in one?

Grammie hanging out with the kids.

Camden being cute!

2008-07-04T15:25:00.002-04:00

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY! We hope you all have a wonderful 4th.

FIRST TOOTH! and Seven Months Old

2008-06-30T19:51:00.003-04:00

I found out, unfortunately the hard way, that Camden's first tooth came in last Friday. His lower, front right tooth finally broke through leading me to better understand his past fussy disposition. One down, 31 more to go!

Our Carter

2008-06-24T21:35:00.003-04:00

Carter has been sleeping in his big boy bed now for the past three days! Things are going extremely well, but for some reason he is now afraid of the dark and of monsters. I guess cribs make children feel very safe.
The other day I took the boys to the grocery store and placed them both into the big huge car cart, you know, that huge cart that is impossible to navigate around the aisles? Well, as soon as I put them in, Carter immediately started pretending to drive with the fake steering wheel. While he was moving his hands back and forth, I noticed he had his hand up by his ear as if talking on the cell phone. Hmmmmm, wonder who he was copying? The funniest part was he was mumbling and carrying on imitating my voice inflections and he sounded just like me! It sounded something like this, "Hi, yeah Carter, blah, blah, blah, I know, can you believe it? Carter, blah, blah, blah, blah, okay bye I love you". It was super funny and super cute!

To Sleep or Not to Sleep

2008-06-23T15:16:00.004-04:00

Remember my blog entry, quite a while ago, explaining an interesting phenomenon about how children won't misbehave on days that you don't care if they do or not? Well, apparently there is another phenomenon that needs explaining. It appears as though your children can sense if you need a nap...really bad...and when they sense this, it interferes with any napping capabilities that they would otherwise possess.
Yesterday Carter napped for almost 3 1/2 hours, and Camden slept for 2! Today, they both slept for only 30 minutes, leaving me only a ten minute tease into sleepy-time land. After being up with Camden ALL night, I am one super D-duper grumpy Momma bear. Grrrrrrrrrrrrr. AND, when Dan is home in the mornings they sleep until 7:30, but when he leaves for work early, they wake up by 6:30. I NEED A NAP! Vent over.

On another good note Carter slept last night, and for his wee nap today, in his big boy bed! Yay Carter!!! Just in time for him to have to go back into his pack 'n' play when we travel to Cleveland for a week soon. I hope this doesn't mess up our progress.

Where'd the Orange Fishy Go?

2008-06-22T16:31:00.005-04:00

Yesterday Carter and I ran into Petsmart to pick out a new fishy. We currently had two, but one had been belly up for a while. WELL, when we got back from the pet store, the "belly up" fish seemed to have recovered. So, we put the ailing fish into his own temporary home to rest while the new orange fish was released into our tank.
This morning when we woke up, the ailing fish seemed to be doing a lot better, but Carter was asking the question, "Where'd the orange fishy go?". The orange fish was nowhere to be found. I was scared to look around in fear that he had jumped out and was laying on the counter all crusty. Well, he wasn't on the counter, but he was on the floor. Ewwwwwwwwwwww. We are so upset. We can't figure out how in the heck our new fishy got out of the tank since there is a secure lid. I guess it will remain one of life's many mysteries. Poor orange fishy, rest in peace little fella'.

Big Boy Bed!

2008-06-22T16:28:00.003-04:00

Carter is officially taking a nap in his big boy bed. We are so proud. After complaining and calling us back into the room for 40 minutes he eventually just fell asleep and has proceeded to take one of his longest naps in history. Who would blame him if he gets to sleep in a comfy bed versus a portable pack 'n' play? We are hoping he will sleep in his bed tonight. We'll let you know.

Picture Post

2008-06-21T21:08:00.005-04:00

Here...let me get that for you.

Playing in Carter's bed (he is STILL sleeping in his Pack 'n' Play because he refuses to sleep in his Big Boy Bed)

Yuck! Those bananas taste just awful...bleck.

That's a nice bike dude. Yeah, the chicks dig it. Hey check out my new tatoo.

Taking the edge off of the summer heat while Daddy waters the grass.

Moments...

2008-06-16T20:23:00.003-04:00

like this one make all the harrowing Mommy moments soooooooooo totally worth it! I had to vacuum the other day, so I put Camden in his crib so he would be safe. Well...I guess Carter thought he would be safe in there as well. Here is how I found them when I checked on them a few moments later.

Here they are whispering about me...

First Trip to the Pool

2008-06-14T15:23:00.004-04:00

We went to the pool this morning, for the first time this pool season, even though our pool has been open for two months already. Carter was very cautious in and around the water, and always has been. However, when we put Camden in his little arms and legs went crazy! He loved the water and wouldn't stop splashing and kicking. I am glad that I had Dan's help, I wasn't sure I wanted to venture out to the pool with both of the boys by myself quite yet. By the time we needed to go home, Carter was nice and comfortable with the water and didn't want to leave. He enjoyed jumping in the water off the wall of the pool into Daddy's arms.