Halloween 2014

 OUr first

 I can't believe that I am actually posting this tonight...I guess it's the week of GOOD sleep!!  We had a wonderful evening trick or treating with our friends and family. Caroline chose her costume and told the rest of us what she thought we should be.  Maggie-Toto, Ottis-the Cowardly Lion, Lucy-the Tin man, Daddy-The Great and Powerful OZ, mommy-an apple tree...an APPLE TREE!  Well I made it known early on that I would prefer being something other than an apple tree.  Well last night when she said her prayers, she said "and Dear Lord, please don't let mommy fuss about being an apple tree!"  First thing on my list today-get material to make myself an apple tree!

Our first stop was Mema and Does house.  Jay and AK were also there.  We got a super sweet picture of Great with her great grands.

 Aunt Katy and the kids

 My girls with Great

 Our family

We left Mema's and went over to a Halloween party where several friends were.  

Grace and Caroline

 Caroline and Ruth

(thanks Ruth and Helen for the costume!!!!)

 all the kids

 Caroline and Kate

 having so much fun together!!!!!

 so sweet!!!!

FYI-Caroline has already thought about costumes for next year.  She suggested that she and Maggie be thing 1 and thing 2.  Daddy could be the Cat in the Hat.  I said "well toot, what can I be?"  She replied "you can be the mother!" :-)  She always seems to save the best for me!!

Sweet Maggie 17 weeks

Oh what a week it has been for our sweet girl!  I feel like she is growing and developing like a weed this week.  So many sweet things happening in her sweet little life!  She is officially the happiest baby I know!!  She smiles and laughs ALL the time.  About the only time she cries these days are when she is tired or hungry.  And even then, she has started putting herself to sleep if we are out and about.  CRAZY!

Most exciting news of all, MY GIRL HAS FOUND HER LOVE FOR SLEEP!!!!!!!!!!!!!  YAY!  Caroline was the perfect baby wise baby.  She did everything she was suppose to do with little to no fuss.  (Well except sleep training...)  But my girl Maggie wasn't having any success with "Baby Wise."  A friend reccomended we try "12 hours sleep by 12 Weeks."  The biggest difference with this book is that the you feed a larger quanity every 4 instead of every 3  Naps look a little different because it's really a morning nap and an afternoon nap.  Her naps are generally 2 1/2 -3 hours.  NICE!  She gets a bath around 6:45, then books and bottle at 7.  By 7:30 she is in her crib asleep!  At the beginning of the week, she was waking up like normal around 2.  The book suggest you stretch out the time each night before you give them a bottle and decrease the amount of formula they get each time.  She started Sunday night at 2am getting 4 ounces.  Last night she slept until 4:30 this morning AND only took 2 ounces before going back to sleep.  I had to wake her at 7am!  WHAT?????

One nice thing about the 7am wake up is that Caroline is dressed, had breakfast and ready for school before Maggie gets up.  It has made for a much smoother morning...

Here's the major milestone week in review:

• She has discovered her toes and fingers more intently.  She loves to look at both up close.  She has also learned to use her fingers to pull one of her toys to make noises.
• She loves to jabber!  She has also discovered her tongue and noises that she can make with her tongue/mouth.  It's a hoot.  
• She has figured out how to put her paci in her mouth.  The only problem is she doesn't know how to get her fingers off for her paci to stay in her mouth.

Character Parade at School

Today's Caroline's school had their Character Parade.  The students got to dress as their favorite book character.  Caroline said from the very beginning that she wanted to be little Red Riding Hood.  I had planned to make her a pretty little red cape but just happened to find this costume on a major clearance sale at Gymboree.  So baby girl got lucky and got the entire costume thanks to Granny!!  And we got it big enough that she can wear it for a few more years as dress up!  Double win!!

Isn't she the most gorgeous Little Red Riding Hood you have ever seen!!!!!!

Field Trip and Funny Things

Today Caroline's class visited the farm that I help with.  She had a great time.  Sadly, it was a work day for me and given that I had to take last Friday for Maggie's adoption and this Friday because the school district is out, I couldn't take off...sniff, sniff...But one of my sweet friends sent me this picture.  The kids had a beautiful day for an outside field trip and had a wonderful time.

Funny story-each morning on our way to school, we hear "the impossible question" on the radio station.  Usually they are pretty  and if it appears too hard, they give clues.Today's question was "Some insurance companies are NOT writing policies for home owners because of the type of dog they have?  What time of dog is it?"  I guessed pit bull and I was right.  I said "Woo hoo I got it right."  Caroline responded "We got it right, I said pimples too!  What a fun name for a dog."

Zoo fun

 My friend Amy and I loaded up 5 kids (sadly C had school) and headed to the zoo!  It was a gorgeous day for the zoo.  Our sweet friend Vanessa met us there with her 3 kiddos.  (Her oldest also had school...sad that our kids are getting so big, so quickly!)  It felt strange for me not to have Caroline with me...I only had to keep up with the little one in the stroller...oh my, what an easy day!! Haha

 The animals were all out and visible which made it nice.  The kids enjoyed feeding the goats and the giraffes.  Baxley Kate, the youngest of the "walking" children was the only one who actually enjoyed feeding the giraffes.

 Ruby Kate, Baxley Kate and Maggie, enjoying their stroller visit to the zoo

 this cutie is ALL SMILES these days!!!!!!!

 Our crew minus Caroline and Matthen

One of the hardest things that I have had to get use to living in a larger city is that friends come and go...life constantly changes and so do friendships.  But I have also learned that friendships were keeping, somehow hold on...even if it's play dates with kids half way in the middle for both friends, only once or twice a year, we make it happen.  I am so thankful for Amy and Vanessa, these sweet Mommy's have walked this journey with me since our first year of teaching at Calvary.  These ladies love the Lord and encourage me daily!  Tonight once we were home, we were texting pictures of our laundry piles, dirty ceiling fans, etc cause that's where we are these days...up to our eye balls in momma duties!

Great and Caroline

Last week Andy was out of town on business and Mema invited the girls and I to come out and stay with her.  Years ago before kids, Andy traveled at least once a month for work. I would always spend the night with Mema and Doe and many of those nights we would make hoe cakes and grits.  We this past visit was no different...except this time she taught Caroline.  Oh how it melted my heart to watch these two...I love this little lady!!

Camping

So fun to take Maggie on her first camping trip, our annual Halloween Weekend!!!  The weather was gorgous!!!  Cool in the mornings and evenings but very warm during the day.  It was such a peaceful weekend.  Jennifer and Randy brought and prepared everything for all of our meals!!!  What a gift to us not to have to think about it.

Maggie seemed to enjoy her time at the beach and was a trooper...she went with the flow and was just so sweet.  Caroline loved "showing" her all the things of the campground. :-)  Look at that smile above laying with her big sissy!  Precious!!!!!!

Jenna and Caroline heading out on the golfcart

Maggie's first picture with Sandy

This is the craziest thing-Caroline loves to play with her fishing "ron" everytime we go camping.  It has a plastic fish on the end and she will cast it over and over again...

We enjoyed about 2 hours on the beach Saturday about mid day.  Ottis wasn't too sure of the waves...it was funny to watch him try to run from them.

running out after first trip, it was COLD

Maggie was OUT

A sweet man saw us taking pictures and offered to take a family photo of us

After the fun day on the beach, it was time to shower and get ready for trick or treat.  This slack momma just couldn't seem to get Maggie's costume together and therefore poor girl didn't particpate.  

This particular group rented 3 EXTRA sites to decorate for the creepy crawl site...they spent a LOT of time and MONEY to decorate this place!!

I don't think Maggie was too upset that she didn't participate.

Jenna took Carolne out again to visit the creepy crawl site.  Caroline ADORES Jenna!!!

Adoption Day!!!!!!

What a sweet, sweet day today was for our family!!!!!  We were thrilled to have a court date less than 4 months after Maggie's birth!!  Everything went extremely smooth!  Everyone fell in love with our sweet Caroline and she was beaming the entire day!  She was so proud.  She thought she needed to take her big sister sash just in case people didn't know she was the big sister!!

16 weeks Sweet Maggie

Goodness gracious, do they get any cuter than THIS?????  My word!!  This kid has my heart!!  There are two things that immediately capture people's attention-Maggie's eyes and the fact that she puts her hands behind her head when she gets tired!  

Here are a few things this girly is up to these days:

• sleep is no longer our best friend...girlfriend fights sleep like crazy, morning, noon and night!
• she continues to roll over periodically
• rocked her first road trip
• Apple picking fun
• she has discovered her tongue and it's fun to watch her try to figure it out

Hiking

After apple picking and lunch in Charlottesville, we headed over to the Shenandoah National Park.  It was gorgeous!!!!!  Uncle Ed thought it would be fun to hike to the top of one of the mountains to hike to a portion of the Appalachian Trail.  I am NOT gonna LIE this girl was ready to give up about 3/4 ths of the way up.  I AM SO OUT OF SHAPE!  Mountain climbing is NO JOKE! But I am so thankful we kept going...the view was amazing AND I get to say I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail, who cares if it was a very short trip! :-)

this girl was SUCH a trooper, never ONCE complained

enjoying Uncle Ed's binoculars

notice the blue spot on the tree on the left side of the picture...the dots let you know you are going in the right directions.  I honestly believe there were a LOT more on the trail up...there were several times this momma got a little nervous between one blue dot and another....

God's amazing beauty and creation

besides there not being enough blue dots, the walk down was SO MUCH nicer!!!! ;-)

WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!