Christmas 2007

Caroline had a wonderful 1st Christmas!! She got so many wonderful gifts and can't wait to play with all of them (or wear them). She actually slept all night Christmas Eve- that was her Christmas present to Mommy!! We had lots of fun in the living room that morning and went to Mimi Susu's for lunch. All of the family was there for a few minutes then had to go their separate ways. We missed Uncle Justin, Aunt Mindy and Evan!! I can't wait till she can actually enjoy her presents next year. Thank you so much for all the wonderful presents that all of us got for Christmas !! We are truly blessed with the best families!!

Caroline with her Uncle Alvie, Aunt Heidi and her cousin Scarlett
Showing off the dress Nana bought me!
Sammy loved the boxes and tissue paper from Caroline's presents
smiling for the camera
2/3 of Susan's handsome sons and their families
(missing: Alvie and Heidi's son Reagan, Justin, Mindy and Evan)
This is the closest they could get to a family picture!!

Caroline and Mommy all dressed up
A very sleepy Caroline with her Mimi and Bubba

Caroline and Elmo on Christmas morning Chillin' in the sunglasses Aunt Kelly bought me!
Hi-ho Silver, Away!!
My Angel bear Nana and Poppy got me
Mommy and Me on my 1st Christmas morning!!

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our house, is a very very very fine house...

This is our new house!! The owner accepted our offer yesterday and as long as it passes inspection we close on January 24th. We are actually going to be homeowners!!! I love the big, fenced-in backyard- there is plenty of room for Little Bit to have a swing set. I'm so excited, I can't wait to move in!!!!!

My poor Christmas tree...

My poor Christmas tree! I took this picture because it is somewhat rare that all the lights are working at the same time. I got a pre-lit tree last year thinking it was foolproof, but I should have known better. When I put the tree together this year some of the lights wouldn't work. They do work from time to time, but usually not all of them at the same time. We have tightened all the bulbs and messed with it, but we finally gave up!! My ornaments are crooked and the angel keeps leaning to one side. And if you will notice the bottom of the tree doesn't have ornaments because of a certain fuzz ball. It really isn't entirely the tree's fault, Sam does play a large part in our tree's problems. He sits on the window ledge and knocks ornaments off that side and plays with the limbs, he eats the "needles" and sleeps on my tree skirt. I think his goal is to knock the angel off the top of the tree, he really seems bothered by the angel. For the first few days i put her back upright several times a day, but then I got over it and just let her be crooked. Any of these would cause a tree to be slightly off center, so with all of them put together I'm amazed the tree is still standing!

SAM!!!!!!!!!!!

It has come to our attention recently (well, ok over the last year) that we could have given Sam a more suitable name. We were thinking Mischief or Trouble. For starters, the other day he managed to get his head and upper body wedged into the top of a box that had a very small opening. The problem- he couldn't wedge the rest of him into the same hole! He hung there with his back legs and bottom stuck up in the air, meowing, until one of us found him and got him out! He knocks the ornaments off my tree and plays with them all the way down the hall. A few weeks ago he was playing with a gift bag I had received a baby present in. He got one of the handles stuck around his neck and ran through the house twice before we could catch him to get it off. Unfortunately we were laughing too hard to get the camera-it looked like a bag with a head! Sunday night when we dropped him off at his Mimi's for the night he decided he wanted to be an outside cat, he just forgot to tell Mimi. He ran outside when she wasn't looking. So for 2 days we all looked and called and looked and called some more but no Sammy! Finally, he showed up at the house looking for food! Thank God he's such a pig or he might have been gone longer! I can't even begin to tell you how much trouble this cat is! He is definitely one of a kind!!! But, I love him and couldn't imagine him not being around!! I could just kill him sometimes!

Maybe his cousin Mozart won't be such a stinker, but I doubt it!! :)

My baby is two months old!!

Doesn't Elvis look relaxed??!!

Two months ago today I gave birth to the most beautiful little girl the world has ever seen! Well, second to her mother (ha, ha)! I can't believe that it has been two months!! It seems like only last week we brought her home. I can't believe how much she has grown and started developing her own personality and quirks. She laughs and smiles and coos. She is holding her head up and trying desperately to sit up all by herself. I love it!!

Over the past 2 months of being a mom I have learned many, many things and been given more advice then I know what to do with!! These are the top five:
1) A baby girl, even if dressed from head to toe in pink must still wear a sign around her neck announcing to the world "I'm a GIRL" - they do make babies that aren't boys!!
2) If the temperature is below 80 it is "too cold to have that baby out!"- It was November in South Georgia Ms. random lady at Walgreens!! It's 75 degrees- THE BABY IS FINE!!!
3) If you don't breastfeed you are a failure as a mother. Buying formula is the 8th deadly sin. Apparently you will go straight to hell. Your baby will be sickly for the rest of her life and it will be all your fault because she didn't get to build up her immune system with all the goodies from the breast milk (source: another random person at Walgreens). OK, this is a slight exaggeration, but you get the idea. P.S.- I have quit going to Walgreens!!
4) Cats kill babies!!- OK, so in the middle of the night Sam is going to go into the kitchen, grab the butcher knife and go after Caroline. I don't think so!! He hasn't tried to suffocate her or harm her in any way. He is wonderful around her and makes an excellent foot prop for her little legs when she is eating! So there- HA!!
5) If you are going to have a baby- learn the words to songs. I always thought I did pretty darn good with lyrics. I could sing along with just about any song that came on the radio. But, in the dark of night with my little bundle of joy in my arms I can't remember more than 10 words to any song. I don't care what song it is- I can't remember anything! I end up singing a lot of hums and la, la, la, la, las. It's a good thing she doesn't know the difference or that her mother couldn't carry a tune in a bucket! She loves it! :)

It's been a crazy couple of months! I can't wait to see what the next two months brings!!!

Over the river and through the woods to Grandmother's house we go...

Ok, so its more like over the mountains and through the swamp, but needless to say we made it to Nana and Poppy's house for Thanksgiving. After 1 long car ride, 2 plane rides and 3 airports we made it to Knoxville. I have to say that for Little Bit to have only been 7 weeks old she did remarkably well. She slept in the car, ate and pee-peed at the airports and slept on the planes. Could I have a more perfect child?

We had a wonderful trip!! Caroline got to meet her great grandparents, great aunts and uncles, a great great aunt and even a few cousins. I'm sure she remembers all of them! Caroline had fun playing with Poppy. She found my dad incredibly amusing. He didn't even have to do anything and she would start smiling and laughing if she saw him. Nana had a mini-boppy (a neck pillow) that Caroline slept on several times. She helped Nana, Poppy and Aunt Kelly put up their Christmas tree and make their lunches for work. Aunt Kelly fed and looked after her (and let her finally hear some "good" music) while Mommy showered. Nana pushed her in the stroller through the mall while we shopped for after-Thanksgiving bargains. Caroline got to swim in their swimming tub (that would be Nana and Poppy's whirlpool tub that Caroline got to take a bath in and then go "swimming" in). She loved spending time with Grandmom and Pops. She loved Grandmom's pumpkin pie and managed to poop each time Pops held her (I think she planned that- she still laughs about it!). She thought Helen, Russ and Steph were very entertaining and can't wait to see Mozart again. We had so much fun and can't wait to go back!!

Her first plane ride!!

great grandfather "Pops"

Caroline helped Nana and Poppy make their lunches
NanaPoppy

Aunt Tasha (my parent's other child)
Caroline and Nana in their pajamas!
Great Uncle Russ & Great Aunt Stephanie

great grandmother "Helen"
great grandmother "Grandmom"

Caroline in the Charlotte airport
Nana, Poppy and Aunt Kelly

Aqua Chi

I have been going crazy to try Aqua Chi. It's where you sit with your feet in a tub of stimulated water for about 30 minutes and let it detox your body. I have wanted to do this for quite some time but had to wait till I wasn't pregnant. Now, that my body is baby free I think I'm going to try it. You have to check out these links. If you don't want to read about it at least check out the water color chart. It is soooooo gross what comes out during the detox. I think things like this are so cool! Aqua Chi Information and the Water Color Chart. Let me know what you all think!!

Sweet Child O' Mine

She's got a smile that it seems to me

Reminds me of childhood memories

Where everything

Was as fresh as the bright blue sky

Now and then when I see her face

She takes me away to that special place

And if I stared too long

I'd probably break down and cry

Sweet child o' mine

Sweet love of mine

She's got eyes of the bluest skies

As if they thought of rain

I hate to look into those eyes

And see an ounce of pain

Her hair reminds meof a warm safe place

Where as a child I'd hide

And pray for the thunder

And the rain

To quietly pass me by

Sweet child o' mine

Sweet love of mine

Where do we go

Where do we go now

Where do we go

Sweet child o' mine

**Nothing like a little Guns N' Roses

She's a model already!

My little munchkin is a model already! The lady that took Caroline's baby pictures wants to use some of her pictures for advertising (website, etc)! The black and white picture of her face is probably going to be on her business card. She also wants to use one of the pics of Caroline with her mommy. I guess I make a good prop for the princess!! I knew she was gorgeous and now everyone in the Waycross area will be able to see her.

Caroline is getting ready to make her first big trip. She and I are flying to Knoxville on Tuesday and spending Thanksgiving with her Nana, Poppy and Aunt Kelly. Yes, that's right, me and a 7 week old infant are flying 500 miles BY OURSELVES!! Thank God she is such a good baby. Maybe she will be a good baby at 30,000 feet! :) Pray for us!!!!! Big brother Sam is going to spend Turkey Day with Mimi and Bubba. (Sean has to work, don't think we are just leaving him here to fend for himself! He has to work Thanksgiving and the 3 days after so he will be sleeping while we are gone!)

Since this will probably be my last entry before I leave for Knoxville...

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!

My little baby is one month old...

This is a couple of days late, but what can I say, I have an infant to take care of! On Saturday my little baby was one month old. I can't believe it. I feel so sad. I feel like I just had her a couple of days ago. I can't believe she has already been with us for a whole month. Anyway... to commemorate her one month birthday I have more pictures! I'm sure all of you are saying "it is about time Lauren finally made a picture of that darling baby! They just aren't going to have any pictures of her as a baby!" YEAH RIGHT!!! I have only taken like a thousand pictures of her in the last month! I have never been a big picture person, but I guess I just haven't had anything this cute to take lots of picture of! So without further delay, more pictures...

Sleeping on Daddy
Chillin' on my boppy
Ok, mom and dad, you guys take the pack-n-play and I'll sleep in the bed! (Can we say spoiled rotten??)
My Halloween costume!

(It's the one and only shot she would sit still for)
Don't hate me because I'm beautiful!!!!!!!!!!!

Caroline's baby pics

Caroline had her baby pictures made yesterday. They turned out so great!!!! We had them made in a park down the street from the house and I am so happy with the way they turned out. This is the link to the pics. http://www.flickr.com/gp/95001586@N00/B4wWD6. Let me know what you all think!

Can we get a professional down here please??

Caroline protests her amateur parents and requests the assistance of a professional!

My cute froggy outfit

Sleeping beauty

Mommy trying to stay awake

I always knew that having a baby would change my life in many ways. But I never imagined how much it would change me as a person. I have to admit that over the last 25 years I have been selfish and somewhat self-absorbed. My problems were always bigger and my accomplishments were more important. But now... my entire life revolves around this little girl's happiness. Nothing I have done in the past seems to matter or seems significant. And love? I love my family, my husband, my cat and my friends but there is a whole other level of love that only those special enough to have had a child seem to be privy to. A love that can't be explained except from one parent to another. A love so amazing that at times it seems to leave me speechless and bring me to tears. I am a mommy and have a wonderful family. I don't think I could be happier!!

More pictures...

My first bath!!
Thank God for pain medicene!!
Aunt Kelly was worn out!!
Daddy loves me!!

GO VOLS!!!

(The bow and pom-poms came off a build-a-bear that Aunt Kelly made!)

Nana was so sweet to help us out! She hadn't slept in over a week and still looked fantastic! Now that's a real mom!!
Princess Caroline in her robe
burrrrrrr...
One more bath pic