I think my life is about to get VERY busy!!!

As I mentioned earlier, Caroline is learning to crawl. With that comes some new freedom and she LOVES it. She can reach just about anything that she wants. Her crawl is rather interesting-two hands, one knee and one leg out to the side. The side leg gives her the boost she needs to get where she is going. It is hilarious!! I will try to capture this with my camera and post later.

When we put her down at night, she now plays in her crib, crawling from end to end. Tonight after she had been in her crib for about 30 minutes, I hear her "talking." I turn the camera on and see the camera moving-the bars on her crib, then her crib sheet, then two big eyes and finally some wiggy hair. Andy and I are cracking up at this point. I am laughing so hard I am about to wet my pants. She has no clue that we are watching her. She continues to talk to herself, having a party in her crib. The screen goes blank and I decide to check on her. In the time that it takes for me to walk from the couch to her room, the monitor is no longer attached to the crib and the charger is no longer on the monitor... She looks up at me, smiles and continues to chat it up. Such a hoot...

I think my life is about to get VERY busy!!!!

37 weeks, on my gosh!!!

Another week has come and gone! Only 2 more weeks and Caroline and I will be enjoying the summer together. Yesterday we enjoyed a day at home in our PJ's until around 11. We got dressed and headed out to run a few errands. We came home and napped as it rained. It was so nice. I am looking forward to lots of days like that this summer...

The biggest accomplishment this week is that Caroline is learning to crawl... Yep, on all fours. I am not really sure that she understands what she is doing but once she gets going she keeps going. We are getting ready to "inherit/install" a family heirloom-baby jail. We are hoping that she will enjoy playing in her play yard. Otherwise we are in trouble-she is everywhere! In her crib she flips from one end to the other. Yesterday when she woke up from her nap, she discovered the camera on her monitor. All we saw was a portion of her head-one eye and a lot of wiggy hair. She reached out for it but couldn't reach it. Wonder how long that will last?

We are still working with her sippy cup but she isn't as interested in the juice. She will drink her formula from the cup but not juice. She loves her puffs and yogurt melts. If she sees the container, she wants them! We have to keep them out of sight, out of mind.

This weekend, we went to my Uncle Louis' house for the day. My uncle lives on the water so everyone enjoyed a boat ride and fishing from the dock. We also enjoyed some YUMMY ribs and pork tenderloin. Caroline enjoyed the company and truly showed out. She was talking with everyone, smiling, acting bashful, you name it, she did it. It was the first time several members of my dads family met her. We enjoyed showing her off! My cousin Jaime has a little girl Lila who is 2 months older than Caroline. They enjoyed some fun time together! It's hard to believe that at the age of 8 1/2 months and 10 months they already know to get what the other one has. They would swap toys-Caroline would take it from Lila, Lila would take it from Caroline and it continued for several minutes. They never got upset, they just took it back. I loved watching them interact together.

Uncle Louis grilling

Lila

Caroline playing with the water bottle

Aunt Lill, Uncle Louis, Aunt Etolile (missing Daddy (passed away), Uncle Ram and Uncle Will-unalbe to attend)

The girls playing together

My uncle Ed, the builder/carpenter of the family, decided to introduce Caroline to some new foods. Caroline had ginger snaps and tostios' for the first time. She loved them! :-) It made me a little nervous (ok a LOT nervous) and I had to walk away. However, Caroline enjoyed them and wanted more! She also had a taste of banana pudding. She would lick her lips and stick out her tongue when she wanted more. It was so funny to watch.



She was pretty tired on the ride home and slept most of the way. About 30 minutes out of town, she woke up and was ready to be out of her seat. Her toys were in the trunk and we hated to stop. So we gave her an empty water bottle and she had a ball playing with it. It kept her entertained the rest of the way home. (I try to tell Andy there's a reason not to clean the car out, trash can be a good thing...)

Sunday was Tyler's 3rd birthday. We had a great time. It's hard to believe that Tyler is such a big boy!

Crawling towards me...

Hope you all have a great week!

36 weeks

We have had an amazing week! We had the adoption "stuff" behind us and everything went so well. Andy and I were just talking last night about the fact that our baby girl isn't an infant anymore. She is rolling to get things she wants. We can't leave her alone for even a minute. Yesterday Andy sat her down to get something from the garage and came back inside to find her in a box of pictures. It's crazy... She hasn't started crawling but she has started rocking on all fours. I have a feeling that crawling isn't too far ahead. Just this morning when I woke up and checked on her she had flipped to the total opposite end of her crib.

Caroline and Daddy spent the day together on Saturday. I went home to clean out my old room. I didn't realize just how much stuff I still had at my parents house. It was a little tough going through some of the stuff but it was fun too. I came across a lot of old letters and hilarious pictures. The trip down memory lane was a lot of fun. We've been through a lot of hair styles and fashions in the last 20 years! I think they had a great day together and I appreciate Andy watching her while I went home. I don't think I would have gotten near as much done with her along.

We are getting ready for a busy but fun Memorial Day Weekend. We are heading to a family reunion on the water on Saturday and Caroline may take her first boat ride. :-) That's exciting! Have a great week!

It's OFFICIAL!

We are 100% certified, stamped and officially recorded in the books the parents of the most beautiful baby girl! We spent today meeting with our attorney, our guardian, the judge and celebrating with family. The first half of the morning we met with our attorney and guardian. We didn't realize that we would have to testify on the witness stand, that was a little scary. Andy had to answer all the tough questions and when I got up, I just had to say that I agree with everything he said. :-) Caroline was an angel. She took it all in and smiled when people smiled, waved or spoke to her. By the end, she decided to show off. She began chatting and waving. Of course she stole the hearts of everyone in the the court room. They couldn't get over what a good, sweet, happy baby she was.

Our first official family shot

I must say that honestly I don't feel any different than I did going into court. God had truly given me a peace about everything. I was really uptight about it in the beginning. We were scheduled to finalize in November and due to some complications, we were not able to. I got really upset and angry. During that time, the Lord continued to work on my heart. As if the whole adoption thing wasn't enough, the Lord showed me that even this (the waiting, the complications) were ALL part of HIS plan. I must say that when I saw my handsome husband on the witness standing testifying, I was filled with joy! The court asked him to please say and spell the name we had chosen for Baby Girl _____. (her name since birth) With the biggest smile he said Caroline Elizabeth ________. I can't begin the tell you how I felt. This was the moment we had been waiting for.

Mr. Jackson, Andy, Caroline, Judge Riddle, me and our Attorney Paul

The day we met B and saw our baby girl's first ultrasound and heard her heartbeat, she was our baby Caroline. We prayed for her and for B and knew that God had given us the most amazing gift ever. During the entire process we were asked several times "But what happens if she changes her mind and you don't get Caroline?" Andy and I both felt that God lead us on this path for a reason and that he wouldn't leave us or forsake us. No matter what happened he was with us! The moment we saw the nurse walk around the corner with our little angel was amazing. We knew that this was our baby girl! There was no turning back. There were lots of mountain top experiences and there were a few valley experiences but altogether they were the most amazing experiences ever. As I have said many times before, God used Caroline to show me something that he has been trying to do for years. He has a plan for our lives and we just have to give up control (which I love oh so much!) and let him work in us!

After court, we had lunch at this really neat restaurant with Aunt Katy and Ansley Kate, Peep, Joy and Theresa. We came home, rested for about an hour and then headed over to Tomi Jean and Greg's to celebrate with friends and family. Throughout this entire process we have had so many people praying for us and encouraging us and we wanted them to be a part of her special day. Uncle Greg grilled hot dogs, Aunt Tomi Jean made baked beans, Mrs. Kim brought pasta salad and John and Tookie brought some yummy homemade break. We had a great time. A lot of the kids put on their suits and got in the pool. I think they could have stayed there all night!

Enjoying her cake!

YUMMY, YUMMY Cake!

Mommy, Daddy and Caroline

Having fun with Pops!

It was a long day and needless to say, we were pooped. We all came home, put on our pj's and are ready for bed. Thanks to everyone who made this day so special for us!

35 weeks

Look at those rolls!!!!!!

This past week has been extremely busy but a lot of fun! We headed to Chapel Hill on Friday for Christine's graduation from Med. School. Caroline was a trooper. This was her first time staying in a hotel. We didn't pack her tub so she enjoyed a big girl bath. She loved playing in the water and splashing it all around. She was up way past her bedtime and I felt like I got stares from people when they saw us out at 10PM. But oh well, at least my girl is flexible... Caroline loved the entertainment and enjoyed entertaining. She brought smiles to every ones face and truly let her personality shine! Needless to say, she slept the entire trip home, played for a few hours then slept two hours and was in bed by 6pm asleep. We had a great time with family and we are so proud of the newest Dr. Cleveland!

Dr. Cleveland

Having fun at the party!

Grace and Caroline shopping before the party.

Caroline and Peep "resting" at the party.

Andy and I are constantly amazed at how quickly Caroline picks up on things. While playing in the bathtub she was trying to reach the drain hole which was pretty far from her little body. She twisted and turned and leaned until finally she rolled on her tummy and scooted for it. Never once did she go under water or slip. Her balance is awesome. She can reach and grab for all sorts of things. Every once and a while she will tumble over but she gets herself back up and tried again. (Unless she gets really mad that she turned over and can't reach what she wants!)

Exhausted after a day without any naps!

Caroline has a few first this week. She is eating Cheerios and drinking very diluted white grape juice from a sippy cup. Being the nervous mom, I break the Cheerios into 4th's for now. She's pretty coordinated and can get them in her mouth 3 out of 4 times. Lucy LOVES being around her highchair when she missed her mouth! Another interesting thing we discovered this weekend is that Caroline has been singing herself to sleep. While we were out and trying to get her down (without any luck) she would start singing. It was so sweet.

Sleeping in her new big girl seat!

Finally the sweetest "first" by far-Aunt Tomi Jean taught Caroline to wave bye bye. Now granted some people might think she is just very excited. However, we know what she is doing and it has improved over the weekend. She will wave her arm up and down. If you watch closely, she is moving her tiny little fingers as well. Last night when we were leaving our Bible Study we were working on telling everyone bye bye. She was totally doing it!

Greg's Dad Papaw is in from Oregon. He loves Caroline and she LOVES him!

Our good friend JV and Amy have a sweet baby boy Gray. Last night they brought Gray to Bible Study. He made the sweetest little sounds and is so tiny. It really made me realize just how big Caroline had gotten and just how quickly the time does pass.

I hope everyone has a great week!

Happy Mother's Day!

I am one blessed woman! I have the most amazing mother who has taken care of and provided for me for so many years. She is a wonderful role model and everything that a mother should be! Even at 28 years old my momma still comes to my rescue! I have a wonderful mother in law who raised a caring and thoughtful son. Thank you ladies for all that you do for us and what you mean to us. We are truly blessed to have you in our lives.


I have always known that I wanted to be a mother more than anything else in this world. I loved taking care of my baby dolls, my students at school, Lucy, Andy, etc. Once Andy and I decided to start a family I thought it would be a piece of cake. WRONG. God had other plans for us. As Mother's Day came and went in 2007 and 2008 I was so disappointed that I wasn't a mother. That I didn't have a child of my own. I prayed asking God to give me a baby to love and raise and take care of. Little did I know last year that God was at work and my baby would be in my arms sooner than I thought. Two weeks after Mother's Day we found out about Caroline. The past year has been amazing. It was harder than I ever imagined. I didn't realize just what it meant to be a mother.

Being a mother means forgetting about yourself and your needs. It means getting up at all hours of the night to feed and comfort. Then when they begin sleeping through the night, it means getting up to make sure they are still breathing. Being a mother means providing even when you don’t have the energy to get off the couch. Nobody told me that you couldn't’t call in sick. I never thought that Andy and I could both be sick at the same time… Nobody told me there would be times when we were both crying because I didn’t know what was wrong with my baby or what to do to make it better.

Being a mommy is by far the hardest job I have ever had. It’s hard to know when I am off the clock. My husband is amazing and wonderful and tries to help me and give me some “me” time. However, I still struggle with hearing her and not feeling responsible for her. Or I hear her laugh and want to be right there so I don’t miss a thing.

Although there are many things that people don’t tell you and the first few weeks are TOUGH, being a mommy is amazing and the best thing I have ever done. When my baby girl breaks into the prettiest smile or laughs so hard she snorts, I fall in love with her all over again. My heart grows a little more. I love to watch her interact with others. She can bring a smile to anyone’s face. She fills me with so much love that I can’t even begin to explain. I can’t imagine our life without her.

Caroline gave me the best Mother's Day gifts ever. She went down for a nap this afternoon which meant mommy got a two hour nap as well. To show her appreciation for all that I do, I get to go to the spa to enjoy some me time. I am so excited and already trying to figure out when I want to go...

As I celebrated Mother’s Day I couldn't help but think about our birth mother. B was such a selfless person and gave us the most amazing gift. We pray for her everyday and we are so thankful that God put her in our lives. I received a text message this morning from her. “Happy Mother’s Day! I hope you are all doing well. Please tell Caroline I love her. B.” How thoughtful… This is just another sign of her love for Caroline and for us. God is good and His plan for our lives is so much greater than anything we could ever imagine.

Tonight Andy and I were doing a Bible Study and we had to read John 3:16-“For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that who so ever believed in him shall have eternal life.” For the first time in my life I realized one more way just how much our Heavenly Father loves us. I could not imagine what his mother must have felt like. To see her baby hang on the cross and be tortured for sinners that she didn’t even know. It’s hard for me to watch Caroline when she has an ear infection… WOW, what an amazing love!

Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers out there. (Those who have children now and those who are waiting for God to bless them with precious little ones…)

34 weeks

Another week has come and gone. I can't believe that my baby girl will be 8 months old this weekend. Where have the last 8 months gone? I haven't got a clue!


This past Friday we went to a community event _____ after 5. It was a lot of fun. There was a band, several food vendors and a large open space to hang out with friends. Caroline was a champ! I think anything outside makes her happy.


We had a pretty busy Sunday. Caroline's friend Tyler turned a year old this weekend and we enjoyed his 1st birthday in the park. That afternoon we had some kids from our youth group over for dinner. It was a guys only so Caroline and I played outside with our friends Charissa and Catherine. We had a great time. The weather was great and Caroline was a trooper!

Tyler enjoying his cake.

Caroline fell asleep less than a minute after I put her in the car!

Enjoying being outside...

Playing with Catherine

LOOK AT THIS HAIR! Can you say WIGGY??? Poor kid just woke up from a nap and her crazy momma is flashing that camera. Now do you know why we don't leave home without a water bottle, comb and bow?

Not a whole lot of new things this week. We have an exciting week/weekend planned and are looking forward to it.