Sneak Peek...

Last Sunday, we had family photos taken by a college friend / old sorority sister who has started her own photography business.  Caroline came over to our house and photographed our family in our own backyard, which was great considering we had a toddler, newborn and dog.  The weather was perfect - sunny and not too cold - and the Fall colors in the trees were amazing.  I just received a "sneak peek" photo from Caroline via email, and I cannot wait to see the rest!!!

My precious family... L.O.V.E.

Carter's Newborn Photos

I know that this post is a little delayed, but here are the precious newborn photos of our baby boy!  Just as we did with Kinsley, we opted to use the on-site photo service at Northside hospital.  And also just like Kinsley, Carter was wide awake the entire time!  We got a few great shots of our little man and his big sis in the comfort of our hospital room on the second day of his life.  It's funny looking back at these because he has already changed so much at 7 weeks old since these were taken.  And take a look at the last two photos - it's amazing to see how much Kinsley and Carter looked alike as newborns!

Carter (taken at 2 days old).

Kinsley (taken at 2 weeks old on the day we were discharged from NICU).

See the similarities?  Those eyes?  

I cannot wait to watch how Carter continues to grow and change before our eyes just like his sister!

Carter's 6 Weeks, Halloween and other "happenings"

Carter's update from my previous "One Month!" post: we had his one month check-up appt. this past Monday, Nov. 5th, and received some great news!  Our boy is getting big!  

• Weight: 10 lbs 10 oz = 75th percentile (he's gained about 2.5 lbs since birth)
• Height: 22" long = 75th percentile (he's grown an inch since birth)
• Head: 39 cm = 50-75th percentile

So far he is proving to be big and tall!  And I should have known...he'll be 6 weeks tomorrow and he is already pushing the limits of his 3-month clothing.  So different from Kinsley who, even though she was born in March, wore 3 month clothing throughout most of the summer.  But you'd never know it now - she is busting the seams of her 2T clothing and is now wearing 3T (and sometimes 4T)!  We've got some growing kiddos on our hands!  

And although Carter is battling his first cold, likely from the one that Kinsley had last week, he is also showing the first signs of SMILING!  Love it!

And as for Halloween:  this year, we celebrated Halloween with a pretty pink princess and a little orange pumpkin.  :)  We met up with our neighbors, and Kinsley got to trick-or-treat with her bestie, Eloise (a.k.a. the "lion").  In keeping with tradition, Philip carved the pumpkin the night before Halloween and I roasted the pumpin seeds.  Kinsley had a fun day at school, with a Halloween party and all of the kids in costumes.  She went as a UGA cheerleader to school since I was a bit unsure as to how her $14.99 internet-deal princess dress would hold up.  She loved trick or treating, and really seemed to understand this year what we were doing!  She had no problem with ringing the doorbells, saying trick or treat, saying thank you, and then was off to the next house!  I made it halfway around the neighborhood with my lil' pumpkin Carter in the Baby Bjorn before heading back to the house to hand out candy to the nearly 50-60 trick-or-treaters that came by - I love living in a neighborhood full of kids!  We were out of candy with the front porch light turned off by 9pm.  

Kinsley and Eloise!

Our family of four ready to trick or treat! 

Sweet sister and brother!

Ready for school!

"Trick or Treat!"

Thank you!

Off to the next house!

And here are a few other photos from the past few weeks:

Carter and Maggie! 

Cousins!

Kinsley sweetly rubbing Carter's head while he slept in "her" Nap Nanny.

All "three" kids in bed.

Kinsley singing her ABC's one morning...so cute.

The First Month!

We are nearly 4 weeks into having 2 little ones at home, and what a month it has been!  Carter is doing great - feedings are going really well, and at his one week check-up, he had already passed his birth weight, after getting down to 7.8 lbs at the hospital while patiently waiting on my milk to come in.  We have his official one month check-up next Monday November 5th, and we hope that he has continued to grow over the past several weeks!  Hard to believe that four weeks have already flown by, but we have such a wonderful time of year coming up in the next several weeks - Halloween this coming Wednesday, and then Thanksgiving and Christmas right around the corner - all made so much sweeter this year because of our new arrival!

And not only do we have a 4 week old, but we have a BIG GIRL in the house too!  As tired as I was, I decided to make a very concerted effort towards potty training Kinsley at home during my 2nd week of Maternity Leave.  I knew we weren't leaving the house, so I put her in big girl panties on a Sunday and placed her princess potty in the den, and we "trained" Sunday through Wednesday.  It was tiring and frustrating at moments, but the end result?  She was potty trained by the time she went back to school that Thursday!  No accidents!  It's now Sunday October 28th, and her last accident was back on Wednesday October 17th! She is doing amazing - even crawling over the baby gate in the basement playroom and coming upstairs by herself to go potty one day last week.  We are still doing pull-ups at night and at naptime, but she is waking up more often than not with a dry diaper.  We are SO, SO proud of her.  She just needed to be "ready" to do it.  We tried earlier in the summer, and she just wasn't ready.  I think having several days of at-home training (and a new baby brother in little diapers) helped.  She also seemed to "get-it" when we Skyped with her cousins and she saw Lilly in her big girl panties.  Kinsley is now full-fledged "big-girl."  I look at her and I feel like there is no "baby" left in her.  No paci's, no crib, no diapers.  Wow.  She is growing up so fast.  Also in the past month, she has nailed down the entire Alphabet Song - no more skipping letters here and there - she's got the whole song down pat.  And she sings it ALL the time.  To Carter.  In the car.  While playing.  All the time, and I love it! :)  She talks non-stop with a vocabulary that seems to grow by the day.  A few of her new favorite sayings:

• "Mommy, pweese make me some bread and buttah?" (with a real Southern draw on "buttah,"when referring to her new favorite thing to eat: a slice of bread with a little butter spread on top).
• "Mommy / Daddy, I wuvsh you." (translation: I "love" you.)
• "Mommy, pweeese make a swoopie?" (swoopie = smoothie)
• "Grad-u-way-shons Mommy!" (Translation: "Congratulations," which I think she got from all of the different people congratulating us on a new baby).

Having a new baby around hasn't been all positive - Kinsley is having a bit more whining episodes, a few more 2-yr-old tantrums (resulting in more time in "time-out"), and has discovered the use of the words "mine" and "my." But after a few days of having a new brother at home, it's like she just got used to the idea of having a new baby on the house and is now so, so sweet to him.  She is constantly asking where he is, giving him kisses, touching his head, talking/singing to him, and "introducing" everyone to her new baby brother...(who she sometimes still calls her baby sister...the concept of little brother and big sister seems to get a little confusing sometimes).

It's been a great first month together as a family of four, and we are looking forward to the months ahead!

I love seeing our firstborn loving on our newborn.

Someone is ready to be a pretty princess for Halloween!

Carter's first bath.

Our first group walk with baby Emily and baby Caroline.

Pumpkin patch!

First outing in the HUGE and HEAVY double stroller!

Walking with Eloise - Kinsley's bestie!  They were actually holding hands as we walked!  So darn cute!

Best friends!

It's tough being a baby.

Kinsley hanging out with her buddy Hunter. 

Trying to smile!

All three of us in the recliner!

Ready to cheer the Dawgs to victory in the Ga/Fl game!

Stanford "party of FOUR:" Carter Thomas Stanford

Introducing our newest little peanut, Carter Thomas Stanford....born October 1, 2012 at 11:35 am, 8 lbs. 3 oz. and 21" long.  We are blessed beyond measure to have two precious children.  It's almost hard to comprehend that I am now the mom of two sweet little ones.  Thank you, God, for these two amazing gifts...Philip and I vow to do our best to give them the best life possible.

Welcome to the world sweet baby boy.  We have been anticipating your arrival since January, and you are finally here - and perfect in every way.

And now, because pictures "say" more than I ever could, here is a look at Carter's first days...

Checking in at Northside Hospital's Labor and Delivery, 9am on 10/1/12. 

Tourist?  Or just a proud dad-to-be with both cameras ready???

Smiling dad-to-be!

Carter's here! 

First time in mommy's arms - love at first sight!

Daddy and his baby boy! 

We were praying for a big healthy boy, and we got him: 8 lbs 3.4 oz and 21" long!  (It all felt quite a bit different from Kinsley's early arrival at only 5 lbs 2 oz and 17.5" long). 

He was so alert with beautiful eyes!
And I discovered the reason for all of that pregnancy heartburn: look at that head full of hair!

First bath :)

First time together in the c-section recovery room.

We had a birthday cake for Carter's birthday, which Kinsley loved, of course!

~My loves~

Skin-to-skin time with mommy.

Skin-to-skin time with daddy.

Proud big sister!

Good morning sunshine!

We had a beautiful view of Atlanta from our hospital room.

Packing up to head home!

Our last family photo outside of room #689 - which just so happened to be located right across from our room #691 when we had Kinsley.

Thank you to our friends and family for the visits, balloons, flowers, gifts, prayers, calls, texts, FB posts...what a beautiful experience. 

I was able to be wheeled out of the hospital with both of my babies in my lap - it was one of those amazing moments that I will never forget.