A February to remember...

We can't wait to bid farewell to the month of February...it's gone a little something like this:

• Friday, Feb 8th: Carter is diagnosed with RSV
• Thursday, Feb 14th: Philip is diagnosed with a sinus infection
• Saturday, Feb 16th: Kinsley comes down with the 24-hour stomach bug
• Monday, Feb 18th: I wake up with fever & the sinus infection that Philip had
• Wednesday, Feb 20th: Kinsley comes home from school with what looks like the start of pink eye and Carter wakes up at midnight with 102 fever
• Thursday, Feb 21st: my first trip to pediatrician with both kids...Kinsley diagnosed with pink eye and Carter diagnosed with inner ear infection (the side effect of RSV)
• Monday, Feb 25th: Kinsley spikes 103 fever at night
• Tuesday, Feb 26th: Philip takes Kinsley back to pediatrician and she has acute tonsillitis. 

That's RSV, sinus infections (2), stomach bug, pink eye, ear infection, and tonsillitis.  All hit our family in the past 20 days.  Germs are invading our home, but they don't survive 'cause nothing has been passed around except for the sinus infection.  It has been a challenge keeping the various germs from passing between the kids, but fingers-crossed...so far, so good.

This Friday is March 1st, and hopefully the start to a healthy month ahead.  Come on warmer weather.  

Time flies...

...when your having fun!  Isn't that the saying?  Or is it "Time Flies when you're...not sleeping & going about a million miles an hour all day / everyday"???  Whew - it feels like the latter.  It's been a packed January/February.  Let's see if I can go back an accurately capture everything...

First, sweet Carter turned 4 months on February 1st and had a great 4-mo check-up...he is definitely growing into a big, healthy boy:

• Weight: 16 lb. 8.4 oz. = 75th-90th percentile
• Height: 26" = 75th-90th percentile
• Head: 42.5cm = 50th-75th percentile

Four month check-up & a healthy boy! 

I love everything about him - he's my little butterball...his budda-belly, his porkchop thighs, his Michelin-man arms, his sweet smile, his belly-laugh...he's an easy-going baby who is super happy if his belly is full and he is in someone's arms.  He has already rolled over from his back to his belly 3 times in the past week and a half (bye-bye crib bumper).  At 4 months he still dislikes tummy-time and loves (I mean LOVES) his hands.  He loves "standing" when in your lap, loves "mealtime" that to-date has consisted of nothing but breastmilk - and when it's from a bottle, it's about 5-6 oz at a time.  Bathtime, or should I say getting ready for bathtime, is his favorite time of the day - and mine...he is all giggles when you started taking off his clothes!  He has started laughing a lot - like that belly-chuckling kind of laugh from a baby that is just the best thing ever to hear.  His face lights up when you turn on the mobile above his crib and his "friends" begin dancing overhead.  He's super ticklish on his belly, neck, and thighs.  He has "found his voice" and loves to make extrememly high-pitched "screams." He's also started playing more in the exersaucer and the new GoPod travel exersaucer (my favorite new "baby gadget") - getting stronger everyday.  He's sleeping on his back in sleep-sacks, but still NOT sleepign through the night...but I typically get up once to feed him (half-asleep myself) and he goes back to sleep right away.  He really is such a good baby and has absolutely been the perfect addition to our family!  

We did hit a bump in the road about a week and a half ago as Carter came down with a mild (thank goodness) case of RSV.  Not sure where or how he got it, but after a week and a half at home, breathing treatments, lots of rest and a whole lot of TLC, he is finally feeling better!

Ugh - breathing treatments.  Sound asleep.

And miss Kinsley is now less than a month away from turning three - THREE!!  Talk about time flying.  I cannot believe that we are about to have a 3 year old.  Three things have really made this sink in: her birthday party is scheduled, I submitted her application to NDA as a full-time preschool student, and I bought the first few pieces of her school unform at the used uniform sale.  Yes, she will be in a school uniform come Fall...I don't know whether to cry because she's getting so big or smile because of the cuteness factor.  We had our first mommy-daughter "out-of-town" outing to Athens to watch the UGA GymDogs meet and had so much fun.  I can also tell she's getting bigger - her vocabulary is growing leaps & bounds and she is miss independent...I have no idea where she gets that from.  At school she has learned: to say the entire alphabet from A-Z (and can make it from A-N by telling you the sound of the letter and the corresponding word - like "A is for Apple...Ah, Ah, Apple"), can sing the days of the week (although sometimes leaving out Thursday) to the tune of The Adams Family, and can sing the months of the year (although October-November-December kind of get rolled together) to the tune of "1 little, 2 little, 3 little indians..."  When we ride to and from school in the car, we are either singing and dancing to her KidsBop CD or singing one of the songs above (or The Wheels On The Bus or Mary Had a Little Lamb).  

So here is a look back at the last month and a half - I guess that time does fly when you're having fun!  

Big sis and lil bro.

Four months old! 

Kiddos playing together

My view while getting ready for work one morning (princess was still sleeping).

Up close!

Nine-year (9 years?!?!) anniversary trip to Hiawassee for the night.

Anniversary trip at Brasstown Valley Lodge.

Love those chunky baby legs and arms!

Our first walk in the double stroller without the infant carseat adapter!

Giving Carter a check-up!

Mommy-daughter trip to Athens!

Playtime before bathtime. 

Cuddlebugs.

Big boy in his GoPod exersaucer! 

Daddy, Papa, and Pop all pitched in to build Kinsley and Carter their new swingset in the backyard!

The finished product!

Making handmade Valentines for her classmates!

Valentine's morning and a special gift from mommy and daddy - lots of fun Dora stuff! 

A little blurry, but heading into school her new new Valentine's Day dress!

Kinsley's first dozen roses from her daddy!

Kinsley's Valentine to us that she made at school (front).

Kinsley's Valentine to us that she made at school (back).

My handsome Valentine! 

Ugh - again with the breathing treatments, but just so sweet.

Sweet boy!

Daddy and his babies!

Whew...all that activity made me tired, too - goodnight!

2012 family photo session

Seriously...I just adore my family.  And these photos from November 2012, beautifully captured by my old college friend / sorority sister at Full Measure Photography, represent such a special time in our lives...with our sweet toddler girl, our precious baby boy and our good ol' dog.

A Very (Belated) Merry Christmas 2012!

Yes, I realize that this post is JUST NOW appearing, and here we are on January 23rd - and I began this post back on January 3rd!!!  Definitely a sign that a certain mommy of two little ones has gone back to work!  I don't think I have ever gone this long without a post.  It seems like there are not enough hours in the day - life begins everyday at 5:45am and doesn't end until the last child is asleep, and by then this mommy is worn out!  Two little ones and going back to work is a lot to juggle, but we are doing it!  So here I sit tonight, finally attempting to gather and post our wonderful memories from the past month and a half, so here goes...

My last post was just before Christmas - and since then, Carter turned 3 months, mommy turned 33 (what?), Christmas arrived and was gone in what felt like the blink of an eye, New Year's brought a fun trip to Hilton Head (even if it was a wee bit chilly) with some great friends and all of our kids, my dad receiving a big award out in TX, spending time with our extended family at Christmas, mommy heading back to work after a fabulous-but-it-flew-by maternity leave, and lots of family time in between.

It was a wonderful Christmas - full of the laughter and excitement of our sweet little girl, the coo's and smiles of our sweet baby boy, visits with family and friends, last minute gift-buying dashes to the stores, wrapping lots of wonderful gifts, Christmas cards from near and far, starting new family traditions, wathcing Christmas movies - Kinsley's favorites were The Polar Express, Toy Story (1 & 2), Prep & Landing (1 & 2), and Curious George Christmas, teaching Kinsley about Jesus' birthday and Santa Clause (and his reindeer and his elves), baking & decorating Christmas cookies, singing Christmas carols - specifically Jingle Bells, Santa Clause Is Coming To Town, Rudolph The Rednose Reindeer, and Deck The Halls, attending Christmas Eve candlelight service, looking for Christmas lights (everywhere we went), visiting Santa (no tears!), starting off every morning looking for Chippy (our Elf on the Shelf), giving to those less fortunate, and spending lots of time together.

Thanks to Pinterest - great idea for displaying Christmas cards from friends and family!
And here is it January 22, and they are still hanging up!  I love seeing everyone's faces all the time!

Meeting Santa!

No tears - and she was actually talking to him!!!

The "official" photo - love!

And you can't go visit the Bass Pro Shop Santa without hoping on a 4-wheeler or two. 

Dad accepting his NIAAA Distinguished Service Award out in TX.

Danny and I got to fly out to see him accept this huge award while Philip and Angela so graciously stayed behind with the kids...I wasn't gone long - literally flew out to San Antonio and back to Atlanta in less than 36 hours.  

Baking & decorating Christmas cookies for Santa! 

Kinsley was a pro with the cookie cutters (and sprinkles)!

Daddy and his girl in "big church" for the Christmas Eve candlelight service.   

Mom-Mom holding Carter! 

Santa came to our house! 

By far Kinsley's favorite gift from Santa: her doctors kit.
Be warned that if you come to our house, you will very likely get a "check-up"! 

Exhibit A.

Exhibit B.
Good dog :)

This photo just makes me laugh - hello sleepyhead!!!

Loving her pink princess castle!

Aquadoodle: THE alternative to messy crayons and markers! 

The aftermath of a good Christmas morning!

This is how Carter spent the first part of our Christmas morning - sound asleep - while Kinsley opened her gifts!

Good morning sunshine!

Carter and his Santa "swag"!

And later that day....

New Years trip to Hilton Head: our room with a view!
(side note: that pool is heated, and Kinsley and I went swimming in it when the temp was 45 degrees out - she LOVED it!)

Kinsley and Chase playing in the sand on a chilly New Year's Eve day at the beach!

Making a fashion statement in her rainboots and winter coat while chasing seagulls.

3 months old!

Bathtime!  Carter's (and my) favorite time of the day!

Kinsley making artwork for her baby brother while he was napping on the flor next to her.

And this is what I found when I walked back in the room...so sweet. 

Love those eyes!!

Miss Priss - my cutie pie!

First time in the exersaucer!

I had to take a photo of our monitors showing both kids napping at the same time - this never happens, and it only lasted, oh, say 10 minutes.

Finally, (and I mean f-i-n-a-l-l-y, as it is now JUNE and I am just now updating this blog post...um, busy much?...) I got the photos from Danny's camera...starting off with some great photos from the San Antonio trip for dad's award and finishing up with a fun first Christmas with so many babies around!

*****

Merry Christmas 2012 from our lil' family of four!