I'm so excited!!!

Kristina and Camden are coming to Little Rock tomorrow!!! Kristina is my dear friend that lives in Nashville with her resident hubby and little girl Camden (19 months)...and their little pup Bella who may join us this week as well. They are arriving on Tuesday and staying until Friday. I cannot tell you how happy my heart is to have my sweet friend come to hang out!! There is so much I want us to go and do- but most of all I look forward to just laying around being lazy and laughing/catching up. She is pregnant as well...baby #2 is due in May. We got to be pregnant the first time around together, and then again this time! I am so thankful that our husbands let us desert them every once in awhile to take a road trip to see one another- I think they know it's good for our souls! I'm sure there will be lots of fun pictures and stories to share after this week.

I go to the doctor on Thursday for my 28 week appointment. I know I have promised belly pictures for a long time and I have finally realized why I have not had any to share- there is never anyone here to take a picture of me! I know Caroline could probably swing it, but she can't stay focused long enough to do it....so maybe Kris will do one this week and I can show you my baby Emily belly.

We still haven't gotten our Christmas tree up....but it's coming...maybe tonight??? Poor Brad has been getting up at 3:30 and working til 7:00ish everyday of the week and is dog tired by the time he gets home, squeezes CGH for a few minutes, eats dinner and then dozes off. It's out of the attic and ready to be assembled. So maybe tonight! Poor Caroline needs to experience a Christmas tree :)

Thanksgiving Weekend

The whole Hobbs crew blessed us by making the long trek to Arkansas to spend Thanksgiving with us. We had a blast and hated to see the weekend end. We ate, laughed, played, and enjoyed each others company. Thank you all for coming...we love you very much!

We love Charlie!

Caroline is so smitten with her new little cousin Charlie! We loved getting to see them during our quick trip to Georgia. She wants to touch, kiss, and love on him every time she sees him. She runs up to his bassinet and stands on her tip toes trying to look inside to find him. It's precious! We wish we were closer so she could get to love/harass him everyday! We love you baby CWS!

Caroline's Cupcake Celebration!

These pictures are in random order...surprise surprise! :) Miss Wiggles trying to get back to the party after posing with Aunt Cara and Uncle Chris- this picture should be with the other Atlanta pics below.


Giving daddy a chocolate cake kiss

At home on the night of her actual birthday Brad and I gave Caroline her first birthday cake- she wasn't a fan of chocolate or strawberry cake. She had just finished her dinner and we had to do it kind of late since daddy didn't get home until after 7:00, so it wasn't a huge success. But it was fun, and the memories are documented! We have video of her not liking this cake...maybe another post. :)

We spent the day of her birthday with our friends Mary Ellen and Rachel. We met at our original lunch spot- Chick fil a. Mary Ellen gave Caroline an Elmo dvd for her trip to GA and a fun Santa Claus book. Caroline loves them!

*On a little side note....after we played and ate at Chick fil a we went for a walk around the shopping center we were in and played outside by the nice fountain they have. Well anyone that knows how BUSY Caroline is knows that you must keep your eyes on her at all times or fun things may end up in her mouth...well they did. Caroline officially smoked or "ate" her first cigarette butt on her birthday!! YUCK!!! I was appalled! Poor thing didn't know what she was getting herself into. Luckily, there was no harm done. A little celebration on her 1st birthday! What's next??

Turned forward in her car seat for the first time

Here are some pictures to recap the wonderful day we spent with friends and family in Atlanta celebrating Caroline's 1st birthday. She was the perfect birthday girl and was a very gracious hostess! She loved her party and we are so thankful for all of you who made it happen. The pictures upload in reverse order, so if you want the true order of events you'll have to start at the bottom and go up. :)

In awe of all her new gifts! Thank you everyone!!

Nana Deb and Niki made an amazing video of pictures from her 1st year. I am not sure there was a dry eye in the room....I can't believe how fast she has grown up!

Her very own cupcake!

Mmmmm....she likes it!

She REALLY likes it!! And daddy does too.... :)

Not finished yet...

I think she devoured as much as her little tummy could handle

Marshmallows are her new favorite treat

Greeting her friends and family

Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah

The cupcake spread- smore's cupcakes, strawberry cupcakes, pumpkin apple spice cupcakes, fruit pizza cupcakes, frozen strawberry cupcakes. I think everyone was on a sugar high afterwards!

I love my Aunt Nik!

Grammie and Grandpa Wakefield

Nana Deb and Papa Ronnie Hobbs

Our Family + sweet Emily in my tummy!

I tried all day long to get a video to upload and it just didn't happen. So after days and days of getting this post ready...it will have to do w/o the video.

Random

Tonight I have a few minutes to sit at the computer because Brad's on call and sweet Caroline is sleeping like an angel. I have a MILLION things I need to be doing- cleaning up the house being #1, but they can wait until tomorrow...which they always do! I don't have any amazing news to share, but just wanted to catch up up to date on what we're doing these days.

As we are preparing for our QUICK trip to Georgia this weekend I can't seem to stop getting all sentimental and sappy thinking about my precious girl turning ONE! I know we all "can't believe it" but every mother out there knows there is something so bittersweet about watching their baby grow up. I've only experienced one glorious year of it and I can't help but wonder if it ever gets easier to see your baby grow into something new, something bigger, something even more amazing. Tears well up in my eyes thinking about how much I love my sweet little silly goose- it's like my love for her just literally pours out of me! I have found myself wanting her to KNOW how much I love her each day- but with little communication I have had to settle with the idea that she knows how much I love her in the simple things I do for her each day-

the way I make and share each meal with her,

the way I read her the same book 15 times in a row,

the way I tickle her under the arms,

the way I pick her up and comfort her when she falls down,

the way I snuggle her to sleep during nap time and bedtime,

the way I always find energy for one more game of peek a boo or where is your belly button,

the way I wash her clothes,

the way I change her diaper 100 times a day,

the way I sing songs to calm her down,

the way I tell her Jesus loves her.

There is nothing more amazing than getting to spend each day, each minute, each second with my little love. I love getting to see her grow and learn new things every day. I could write a book about all we do each day- and it would not be as sweet to anyone else but me because I know her so well. I guess the tears come simply because I want it to be like that forever- to always know her and get to love her all day long. I am so blessed to have her as my daughter and I often don't feel like I am good enough for her. I am 100% sure that God has a plan for us- each day we wake up from 6:30 a.m. until she is off to bed each night. I want to be the parent that God wants me to be each and every day that I am given the privilege. Sometimes I lose my patience or get irritated and it takes me a few minutes to through those little "hot spots" and sometimes I feel guilty afterwards, like those were wasted minutes that I should have been admiring her. But I am simply reminded by how crazy I must make my heavenly father sometimes...but He doesn't get mad at me- He loves me relentlessly. And to know that God loves me like I love my sweet little Caroline. All I want Caroline to know sometimes is HOW MUCH I love her, which is also God's message to His children. Motherhood has been an exciting, twisty, confusing, road- but the word that I would use to describe it the most would be AMAZING. All the bad disappears each day, all the stress and sleepiness disappears, all the things on the never ending "to-do list" get forgotten, when I fall asleep thinking about her sweet little self. And to think....we get ANOTHER precious little girl to experience this love with in March!! I am overwhelmed with how much God has entrusted to us....thank you Lord!

AND NOW ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT NOTE...

I wanted to share this breakfast idea with my fellow lady friends and especially my doctor's wife friends. I was starting to feel a little guilty about not providing healthy meals for my sweet hard working hubby. Since my husband has been working like a dog during this rotation he has not gotten to eat lunch on the majority of his days. He gets to work at 5 a.m. and doesn't get home until after 7- that's if he isn't spending the night there. So that means that his breakfast is the fuel that keeps him going through out the day. Well....my love was eating a pop tart and maybe a granola bar with a cup of coffee each morning. As yummy as those snacks are and as easy as they are to grab and run out the door- they weren't offering a whole lot of nutritious value or stamina. So I came up with this quick breakfast one morning- which I prepared several for him to eat through out the next few days.

Easy Breakfast Burritos

Sausage patties- we buy a box of like 30 of the frozen kind and keep them in the freezer

Eggs

Green and Red Peppers, Onions- you can get a mixed bag of these already cut up in the frozen section

Tortillas

Cheese

I cook the eggs in their own pan- scrambling them. In another skillet, which happens to be a cast iron one that my hubby is obsessed with, I cook the sausage and peppers/onions. Chop of the sausage while it's cooking. Once they are both cooked, put the eggs in the sausage skillet and let them cook together. Put the mixture onto a tortilla that is sprinkled with cheese. Wrap them up in tortilla and wrap the burrito in foil.

*I also keep some out by itself so that Caroline can eat a little of it for breakfast too. She loves it!

Then all Brad has to do is grab one burrito out of the fridge, microwave it for a minute, and eat it on the way to work. I'm not saying it's the most NUTRITIOUS meal of all time, but it has protein and some veggies- both good things. :) I only keep the mixture for 2 days...then it's time to make a new batch if we want it.

Just an idea...not a novelty at all. I know I'm always envious of new ideas....so share with me!

And that's the end of my random blog. Goodnight! :)

Currently Caroline

Mice, Leaves and NOOOOO Laundry!

We have had so much fun enjoying the nice weather and the leaves outside in our front yard. We went outside one morning after her nap and just played around- she has FINALLY stopped putting everything into her mouth...for the most part. I love watching her frolic around in the leaves on her little wobbly legs...priceless! She and Isabelle like to play a nice game of cat and mouse. Speaking of cat and mouse....last Sunday morning we woke up and let Isabelle inside from spending the night outside. As we opened our door a little mouse ran in!! I was able to think quick and capture it between the 2 front doors- between the screen door and real door. So daddy and Caroline got the broom, went around back to get to the front door to go on a mouse hunt...this was around 5:00 in the morning...but the first pictures are from the "Mouse Hunt".

Anyone that has been around Caroline lately has noticed that she has learned to shake her head "no". She only 1/2 way knows what it means. She knows to do it when she is finished eating, but the rest of the time she just does it when any question is asked. One day last week at Cara's I asked her "Do you want to go do some laundry with me?" Her response of course was a no-head shake. Ever since then I can ask her that question at any time and her response is always no. A girl after my own heart- no laundry!! :) See her infamous "no laundry" in this video below.

A bit of everything

My sweet friend Paige met us and had lunch in Atlanta Friday afternoon. She has an adorable 4 month old- Braelinn. He was a doll!! We were so glad we got to visit with them and meet Braelinn for the first time.

Little Charlie snoozing away...he is such a good sleeper right now!!

Caroline is meeting her cousin Charlie for the first time. She LOVED him. She wanted to grab him and touch him the whole time we were there. She knew that he slept in his bassinet and continually ran up to it trying to pull herself up to look inside. We are definately working on the word "GENTLE" and hopefully will make leaps and bounds of progress before her little sister arrives.

She loved watching the baby- except for when he cried. She broke down in crocodile tears every time Charlie made a peep. She is very sympathetic. :) Again, we have a lot to work on before we bring our 2nd little one home.

Ok, so this is all out of order and randomly placed pictures. It's late, I'm tired, but I wanted to attempt a blog. :) You are all smart- you'll figure it out.

We have made some sweet friends that we enjoy weekly playdates at Chick Fil A with. Rachel and her sweet little Mary Ellen have just moved back to Little Rock. We met at a library playtime and have gotten together each week since. Unfortunately library time falls right in the middle of naptime, so we haven't made it in awhile. We'll see how little love does this week- we love the interaction! Caroline is contemplating how to get up these steps...one day soon I think she'll attempt after watching the big kids do it over and over.

Mary Ellen is about 17 months old- perfect little friend for Caroline to follow in her footsteps.

Enjoying girl time at lunch

Random picture of Caroline on the way to the park. She loves her Elmo sweatshirt!

Hayride and glowsticks! She eventually tossed one of them over the side...

Trying to chill in the car before the festivities

Strutting her stuff

Miss Peacock

We are finally back home in Little Rock after an amazing time in Atlanta. We are glad to be home with daddy and in our "normal" surroundings...but we miss our family already! Good thing we have a birthday party right around the corner!! :)

Here are some pictures from Caroline's first Halloween. She was very tired that evening since we had just gotten off an airplane and traveled all day. We almost didn't make it out, but we ended up going out to a fall festival at a friends barn/house/land. They had all kinds of fun things set up...mostly for kids a bit older than Caroline but we still enjoyed. We had hot dogs, took a hayride, chased other children around, and enjoyed a bonfire. I got to meet a lot of the couples that Brad had met the following week while I was gone. Our little peacock was precious...she walked around strutting her feathers like she was the center of the world! She was out WAY past her bedtime, but she did amazing. The only major catastrophe was a busted lip and scraped up face that she got when we got home and enjoyed a few minutes at our neighbors party. She was a champ though and didn't seem to mind once we got the boo boo bunny and apple juice for her. All in all it was a fun night!

Finally, on another random note- we joined The Summitt Church. We are very excited about being a part of their church family and getting plugged in with small groups, serving opportunities, and outreach. The church is on fire for the Lord and has such a heart for helping others and mission opportunities. Thank you Lord for leading us to a new church home!

The End :)

Charlie is here!!

Caroline and I are in Atlanta celebrating the arrival of baby Charles Wakefield Seaver- my sisters first baby. She went into labor on Friday and Caroline and I hustled to the airport in about 45 minutes to catch the next flight to Atlanta. Brad was a champion helping us get packed, calmed down, and excited about our journey to Georgia. Caroline traveled fabulously- she was excited to finally meet her first cousin! Cara's labor slowed down and baby Charlie didn't make it out until Saturday afternoon around 4:35 pm. He weighed 7lb 6oz and he is perfect!! I can't wait to get to know him and love him even more than I already do. Being an aunt is such a blessing- I'm so thankful for Cara and Chris and for their sweet bundle of joy. Every mommy out there knows how much their world is about to change as they come home, but it's such a GOOD change with so many "firsts". I look forward to experiencing these first few days, months, and years with my sister. Motherhood changes you- for the better. I have been very reminiscent of the days when Caroline first arrived, and get a little scared thinking that in just a few more months we will be doing this again with sweet Emily. But since I know how fabulous and amazing it is from experience, I am SURE that we want to do it again!

We have gotten to spend a lot of time with my family and the Hobbs have made several trips up to ATL to see their little tadpole. We LOVE being with family and miss them terribly when we are away. Caroline is changing everyday and I love being able to share that joy with loved ones. Thank you Grammie, Grandpa, Nana Deb, Papa Ron, and Aunt Nik for ALL your help this week- it has been such a blessing!!

Pumpkin Fun!

The pumpkin patch was a lot of fun! We went to Bobrook Farm about 20 miles outside of the city. They had pumpkins, a hay-maze, a hayride, and some other fun things. We went with our friends Barry and Charlotte and their almost 2 year old little girl Abby. It has been raining here like cats and dogs so the actual field with pumpkins was drenched and VERY muddy. We managed to grab one nice looking pumpkin and a baby one for Caroline. It was nice- not to cold, not to hot. I think Caroline enjoyed...and we enjoyed spending time with new friends. There are a couple of videos at the end of the blog...

She enjoyed the animals- we saw goats, piglets, a cow and some mules.

Abby and Caroline are placing their bets on how much this pumpkin weighs.

On the hayride

These pictures are from the other day. I started giving Caroline her milk/formula in a cup instead of a bottle- she did pretty well. A lot of it ended up on her, but I think she's getting the hang of it.

We had to put her in her Halloween attire for an afternoon...she was enthused as you can see by her face.

The NEW and IMPROVED bathroom

Sorry this video is sideways...these are at the pumpkin patch.

Simple Joys

For some reason I find such fun in dressing Caroline in mismatched clothes! I guess it's because they have no idea or care in the world about what they are wearing- I love it and wish adults were that carefree. :) Check out her outfit this morning- tea cup pj top, barnyard bottoms. We were at the breakfast table just hanging out watching her favorite sesame street video on the computer. Our sweet friends Camden and Kristina sent us the link one day and it has been a hit since.

Bathroom Bliss

I am not sure if you noticed in my last previous post that in Caroline's bath shot you can see duck tape behind her. This tape was put there a week ago because our shower tile started coming unattached from the wall. Well, it turned out that we needed to have some work done to the bathroom. Our landlord acted quickly and hired some men. So now Caroline enjoys her evening bath in our sink...until the shower is done. She actually likes it. Wish we could fit- we've been going over to friends to utilize their showers which isn't fun at all. :(

On Monday we had some workers show up to re-tile our shower. Of course it wasn't that easy and it turned out that we needed to have a whole new wall put into our bathroom (mold/mildew had eaten it all up! EEEEWWWWW!!!) So the work has begun. They are here every day from about 9:00 to 6:00. Caroline and I have really gotten to know these guys pretty well...we may miss the company when they are gone- JK!! We can't wait to have our house back to ourselves, a bathroom to bathe in, and a CLEAN floor to walk on. We will have a nice new shower when this is all over, so maybe it's worth it. We'll see. I hate home renovations. Remind me if I ever get the itch. :) They should be done Friday. Cross your fingers.

This weekend

I promised pictures, so here they are! :)Belly shot is of baby Emily 20 weeks. The others are from our Sunday afternoon trip to the park, bathtime, and other events this weekend. I'm about to go make some monkey bread to enjoy tonight while we watch Jack Bauer. More to come this week....

It's been awhile...

I know, I know, I have not gotten back into blogging like I said I would. But I promise to try and do better! My mom came to visit this week and spent 5 fabulous nights with us. She was on her fall break and had the week off. We got to have some fun girl time- lunches out, shopping, and just being lazy and playing with sweet Caroline. It was neat to see her amazement at Caroline's new skills- it had been a few weeks since they had seen her last. Caroline adores her Grammie, and missed her Grandpa Wakefield a lot!!

We are in the waiting period now for my sister to have her first sweet little baby- he is due Oct. 30th- but I'm hoping and guessing he'll be early!! I'm not sure why I think that- I just want him to be here I think. They live in Atlanta, so I have a suitcase out that needs packed with my things so we can take off to Georgia just as soon as we hear the news. We are so excited to meet Caroline's first cousin...and for me to finally meet my first nephew. I know Cara is ready...the end days of pregnancy are NOT fun.

Saying goodbye to mom is hard- it always is. BUT we know that we will be back in GA soon to see everyone again so that makes it a little easier to bear. It's always better when you have another point in time to look forward too. Thank you mom for coming, for sacrificing your week of vacation to get up early and play with us all day- we loved having you!! Pictures to come. :)

First Beach Day!!

Here are some pictures from our first adventure to the beach. She loved it- we knew she would. I will say it is tough to take a little tot to the beach on your own, but with a swarm of family around, it seems a lot easier! We learned a few beach lessons- lots of sunscreen, lots of bottled water to wash off passy's and mouths with, sand can get EVERYWHERE and it will all be ok, dogs on the beach steal the show every time! I must say I was a bit paranoid when she was near the water but that probably stems from my own fear of the ocean! Daddy is dreaming of the day when Caroline will be big enough to go and jump/ride the waves with him and uncle Ben. We would probably get the record for the "whitest" family on the beach that day- we haven't seen sun in forever! But, as long as everyone had their sunglasses on, they were safe from our radiating white glow. :)

Niki has a lot more pictures from our vacation that I will try to get sometime soon. Until then, enjoy these pictures of our sweet little beach babe! Building Sandcastles with Papa Ron
First taste of sand- yuck!! But she would try it again later on in the week...several times!

Hmmm...this sand feels so good on my skin! Natural exfoliate!

Caroline meets little 3 month old Colton James- we'll call him cousin- but he is Brad's cousin's little boy. Precious!! He experienced the beach in his sleep.

She loved the water but was a little bit skittish- she wanted to be by our side or in our arms.

Beach Baby!

Videos- pictures to come soon :)

We are back from our fabulous week of vacation in Hilton Head. It was a little bittersweet to leave but I know we will enjoy getting back into the "routine" and hopefully find a "normal" pretty soon.

Caroline did better than we could have imagined on this trip. No outbursts on the airplane rides, she allowed us to have dinner out at noisy restaurants each night (she ENJOYED her food as well), she played in the pool, at the beach, and relaxed inside when it got too hot. She was perfect!! I am so blessed to have such a sweet, loving little girl. She enjoyed getting to love on the Hobbs side of the family and she was giving kisses and sugar away right and left!! I enjoyed some time "off" while helping hands took care of her. It was wonderful.

As most of you know our little Caroline made some major milestones while we were away. She is walking!!! She is talking (da da da, ga ga ga, pa pa pa, and jibber jabber of the like)!!! She has waved bye bye a few times, and she can go and get you a few of the toys that we ask for- duck, book, baby, etc. It's amazing to see her growing and blossoming into a toddler right before our very eyes!

Pictures of Lovebug

We are leaving early tomorrow morning for the beach. Before I leave for the week I wanted to share a few precious pictures of our sweet girl. These were taken by our friend Niki while we were in Milledgeville a few weeks ago! I will resume blogging next week when we return!!

The Blog is back!

I admit I have been a delinquent blogger for the past few weeks. We have had a lot going on and the picture taking and fun has been minimal. I hope to have a fresh start now though- we are finally settled into our new house and looking forward to finding a "normal" routine. We love our house- it's old and has a few things we would love to fix, but it's a rental which has been so nice. No stress when it comes to broken dishwashers, etc. After moving all of our things into this house, we would love to stay here the duration of our residency, but right now we have only committed to a 2 year lease. We'll see. Moving isn't fun!!! Boxes are unpacked and things are livable, but decorating and perfecting each room is going to take time- and seems to take the back burner to sweet Caroline, spending time with Daddy, and sleeping! One day...hopefully sometime before the year is over we may finally have a real home! Pictures and video of the house to come...I still have to move a few more stacks of clutter before I will advertise the house to the world! :)
-Family Update-
Considering Caroline....
Sweet baby girl is almost 10 months old (on Saturday!!). She is going 90 to nothing and doesn't skip a beat! She is almost walking- taking a few steps here and there as long as she is holding something in her hands. She thinks she's walking though- she will take off if she is holding your hands and walking. No more holding, or stroller rides...this girl has gotta use her feet! She is loving the new adventure and I can only imagine the places those little sweet feet will take us! She is babbling a lot more- but still no mama or dada. She is still exploring different sounds and faces. She has recently started the most precious little "grin" that she uses ALL day long to win our hearts! She grins as big as she can and shows those dimples to almost anyone or anything that walks by...especially puppies. She likes to flirt with daddy, flashing that sweet smile at him while he's working or reading to see if she can catch his eye. She definitely does. She loves to read books, play with blocks, and throw clean clothes on the floor after they have been folded. She likes to eat bananas, chicken, and anything else for that matter. We are having fun exploring and tasting new foods now that her little chompers and belly are ready for it. She has been dealing a little bit with some serious mommy-separation anxiety. I am up for ANY ADVICE or info concerning this! She wants her mommy all the time- no matter what is going on or where I am, Caroline is right there- on top of me! Daddy is great and all, but no substitution for mommy, at least right now. I keep telling Brad that one day those tables will probably turn and my heart will break, but right now I'm dying for her to just spend some ALONE time with anyone else besides me! Don't get me wrong, I love having her with me every minute of the day- but I want to be able to cook a meal in the kitchen and not have her on my toes or in the living room pitching a fit bc she wants to be with me. She has also been waking up at night- just wanting to be held/comforted. This is all typical...and by the book. But it's tough! I don't want her to be sad and think mommy isn't around at night- but mommy is sleeping!! :) Hopefully this to will pass.
All in all she is amazing as usual- growing like crazy and quickly approaching her 1st birthday!! We can't believe it!! We have already started the plans for a birthday party at Aunt Cara's house on November 21st- so mark your calendars!

Blossoming Baby...
We are so excited to announce that we are having another precious little GIRL!!! We had an ultrasound on Monday and got to see our sweet little girl playing inside my belly. I am still consistently amazed and taken aback by the miracle of life and how my sweet little one is doing inside. We got to see her wave, and kick, and breath...it takes my breath away every time we get an ultrasound. I think I have felt her kick a few times...2nd time around I know what I'm looking for. I'm 16 weeks today. We go back on Oct. 8th for another big ultrasound to measure her, etc. I will be about 20 weeks then. Oh yeah...and we have a name for her already. :) Caroline Grace will have a little sister named Emily Anne. We can't wait and have already started talking to sweet Emily...Daddy even bought both his girls a stuffed animal at the hospital gift shop the other day! He chose them based on their personalities- one was "more Caroline" and one was "more Emily." We are both very excited!!

Busy Brad...
Brad is enjoying this month's rotation in anesthesiology. He has NO CALL and NO WEEKENDS...which is amazing!!! He is staying busy though through the week getting to intubate and watch a lot of surgeries- he has had the opportunity to join the actual ENT residents in the afternoons to get in on their surgeries. He loves it and enjoys each day. It's funny how a "good" rotation can make the world seem like such a brighter place!! He likes having a yard to take care of again, a grill that we can use, and a neighborhood to take Caroline for walks in. He is such an amazing husband and I must admit- tears start to leak out of me when I think about how awesome of a daddy he is going to be for our 2 little girls. His heart is already so smitten with them both! I thank God everyday for such a provider, a hard worker, a sweet friend, and a generous daddy that I have in Brad. I am so blessed.

We are still in the process of visiting churches! We went to one last week- The Church at Rock Creek and really enjoyed it. I guess we are going to take the plunge when we get back from vacation and try to get connected. I'm craving a women's bible study, I know Caroline would love interaction with some other kids, and Brad and I both would love the fellowship of getting involved in a "life group" with other couples in our same shoes.

V-A-C-A-T-I-O-N HERE WE COME!!!
We leave on Saturday to go to Hilton Head, SC for a week of relaxing at the pool and beach!! We are going with Brad's family and are all staying in a house together, like old times!! Ben and Sarah will be joining us for as much of the week as they can, and Niki, Nana, and Papa Ron will be there the whole time. We have gone to HH a few times and absolutely LOVE it! It will be especially nice in September with no crowds and cooler weather. We are pumped to get to spend a week with no stress, no work for Brad, no worries!! It's been AWHILE since we've had a fun trip- so we can't wait! We are flying out of LR at 7:30 Saturday morning. I am sure we will have some fun pictures from that trip.

Ok- my fingers are tired, and I can imagine your eyes are tired if you have read all of this! Catching up is always hard to do...but I promise to do better! If it weren't for our obsession with watching Season 5 of the TV show 24 every night I would be doing much better...but right now after the baby is in bed, it's Brad, me and Jack Bauer- saving the world. :0)

Everything!

Before the saga begins, I want to update you on my dr. appt I had on Monday. It was perfect- baby's heart beat was 156 and everything seems to be perfect. Get this...in 3 WEEKS...3 WEEKS...September 14th....we will know if baby is a boy or a girl!! For some reason this has snuck up on us so fast!! A twinge of panic set in, but it will still be early...only 16 weeks. We had to wait til 20 weeks for Caroline, so we're still ahead of the game. We can't wait!!
Ok....now the other stuff!
We made it! Our long awaited trip home has finally come. Caroline and I flew into Atlanta Tuesday afternoon. Grandpa Wakefield picked us up and took us to Rome to stay with my parents for a few days. On our way to Rome we stopped and visited our sweet friends Emily and Wendell Brewton in Powder Springs. They have 3 precious children and Emily is expecting baby number 4 next month. It was so good to see them. I also realized how amazing 7 year olds are with babies...Emily and I joked that I needed to "register" for a 7 year old to help me with the babies! Bethany (7) and Hannah (5) played SO well with Caroline- it was fun to watch!

We are relaxing here in Rome now- Caroline is actually taking wonderful naps and giving me a chance to get on the computer. She is in heaven with so many new faces and new toys and new unchartered territories! She is going full speed ahead all day long. I am so glad she is getting to spend some time with her Grammi, Grandpa, and Uncle Rew. Tonight we are off to the restaurant where Andrew works- we'll enjoy some yummy Italian food. Rew is supposed to begin his road trip across America to California sometime next week, and I think Little Rock may be his first stop- so we get a double dose of Uncle Rew! Wahoo!!! Hope he doesn't mind living with boxes everywhere!

On Friday Caroline and I will head to Atlanta to stay with Aunt Cara and Uncle Chris- my sister and brother in law. We can't wait!! We are throwing Cara's baby shower on Saturday. It is going to be the event of the year!! We are so excited to celebrate baby boy Seaver- still waiting for the name confirmation. We can't wait to enjoy some sister time and girl talk! And, we can rub each others baby bellies! heehee. Who would have thought we'd be preggo together? Perfect! Also, I have been craving Korean food, so we may have the Wakefield crew enjoy some yummy pulgogi Saturday evening. :)

We will leave on Sunday to go to Milledgeville to visit with the Hobbs' . We will hopefully get to visit with Ben and Sarah and grandparents and maybe cousins, aunts, uncles...whoever will come visit! It will be nice to see everyone....we probably won't be ready to leave. :( Caroline is in for a fun time....and lots of spoiling by all these family members! Hopefully she's eating it up and saving some for the weeks ahead when we're back in Arkansas.

We do miss daddy. We wish Brad were here with us. He is finished one last week of ped. surgery (PRAISE THE LORD!) He is on call 3 times this week...so really we wouldn't be seeing much of him even if we were at home. This was a perfect week for us to be away. He wanted to come with us so badly, but we have a week of vacation planned mid September in Hilton Head that he is holding out for.

We are officially in our new house and LOVE it!!! We worked our fannies off moving weekend and got everything out of the apartment- hopefully never to go back!! The house is perfect- it seems so big to us since we've been trapped for so many months in our apartment! Caroline has had a ball with all the stuff that is around- we just have to watch her very closely because she is up and mobile now, which means several bumps, bruises, and falls each day. Brad's mom was sweet enough to fly out the weekend we moved to help us. Thank the Lord she did bc she helped us tremendously. Caroline is a full time job so without a hand, we could not have gotten half of what we did done without her. We have our kitchen unpacked and groceries bought, our bedrooms up, not decorated, and bathroom livable. I hated to leave Brad in boxes up to his ears, but we left 2 days after we moved in. It may be awhile til all those boxes disappear- with just me and CGH it's tough to get anything done. Bit by bit, piece by piece we'll get there. And I am living for the day when I can relax on our couch in our living room (decorated!) and take a good nap, knowing things are right where they are supposed to be. So what if it's not til November...we'll get there eventually. :)

Pictures will have to come later....I'm not up for loading them while we are traveling. I need to start snapping away. Instead, I'm just soaking up the wonderful seconds that we are spending with our family- savoring them!

The Zoo

It was HOT! You can tell sweet girl is sweating!!

Brad's photo skills at work through a chain link fence- read below. Brad has a fascination with bald eagles...???

She did not enjoy our picnic lunch...hot bananas didn't make her happy.

They got to feed the birds nectar in little cups. Brad tried so hard to get one to stand on his arm, but they wouldn't. They nipped at your hand if you didn't have nectar.

In the stroller for oh, about 10 minutes.

Last Saturday Brad was post call (he worked the day before, through the night, and came home mid morning the next day) but he had been able to catch a couple of hours of sleep. He was up for an adventure with the fam, so we decided to head to the zoo. It was absolutely miserable because of the heat, but Brad is a trooper. He carried, pushed, and held Caroline the whole time. I think we probably spent equal time outside with the animals and inside the air conditioned cafeteria. But it was fun. Caroline was hot as could be, but she enjoyed seeing the animals. Caroline loved the tigers and Brad was fascinated with the bald eagle. He spent a good 20 minutes photographing their talons...hahhaha. We walked off and had to come back to get him. I personally enjoyed the air conditioning....and I guess the elephants, if I have to choose a fav. Here are a couple pictures from that day. It was SO good to have daddy with us- we miss him when he's working!! I think next time we will try the zoo in the early spring or late fall...when it's not 100 degrees outside.

Blog Vaca

I promise that we are alive- it's just been awhile since I've been able to sit down and blog. We've been busy getting re-packed to move this weekend. We have movers coming on Saturday a.m. to take our things to our new house! We are so excited. We have been a little overwhelmed with everything- packing, moving issues, and planning our (Caroline and I) trip back to Georgia on Tuesday. We will be visiting family and hosting my sister's baby shower!! We are so thrilled to be going- it's just a lot to get ready for in the midst of a move- so I promise more fun blogs are on there way. Don't give up on me just yet. :)

Could it be??

Caroline took a few steps today! I watched her attempt and try a few different times this morning, so this evening I pulled the camera out just in case I could capture a tiny step. She can stand so well on her own, but she likes to cruise the furniture and her toys. She usually will "think about walking" and resort to her knees to crawl, or attempt and tumble. If you look closely you can see her little step to the tv armories! Call me a proud mommy...I admit!

Our other adventure today entailed a trip outside. So many of you have heard me complain of no yard and how much I hate being cooped up in the apartment. So this afternoon I decided I would go outside and find a patch of grass somewhere....and we'd play, read books, blow bubbles, etc. Like we USED to do everyday!! So really and truly the only option for us was across the street from our particular building, and it was kind of a little slopped....well actually it was a hill. But we were determined to spend some time out, so we made it work. Hahahha. Just watch the video and you can share in my giggles. She didn't get hurt...promise! :)

Absolutly Nothing

Eating her yummy teeting biscuit watching tv...smearing the armoire with her sweet little hands!
Yummy eggs!

Hmm....this doesn't seem right....

I was talking to my sweet friend Kristina last night about how I haven't blogged in awhile because I feel like I have nothing fun to write about- we are staying at home everyday just playing, doing our thing. No fun outings to report of, no amazing stories to tell. She encouraged me to keep going anyway- so here are some of the hum-drum things that are going on.

I'm so excited that the cat if finally out of the bag about baby #2 and that I can talk about it with everyone. It seems that since I have shared it- my sickness has subsided!! I am happy to say I have had a good week thus far...maybe I'm over the hump of the 1st trimester, though I'm only 11 weeks this coming Thursday. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement- it has helped.

Caroline is into everything! She is getting more and more adventuresome now that she is "mobile" (that's what the nursery worker called her on Sunday a.m.- as well as "big boy".... come on! She's a girl!! She doesn't have much hair, but she wears dresses and flowery shoes and everything else that could label her as a girl. Oh well) So back to the mobile....she crawls around on her own with her own agenda lately. I now see why we need baby gates- I think we'll wait till our new house to see exactly how many we'll need, but I'm constantly following little bit around now...and she's constantly bumping her head and falling over things. It's amazing how resilient they are and how a kiss and swoop up in mommy's arms can make things all better. She enjoys playing in the Tupperware kitchen cabinet now, and she likes to wander into our bathrooms- she actually surprised daddy while he was in the shower the other day. He finished showering, opened the curtain, and there she was standing silently at the edge of the tub, just a grinning. She is a trip! Brad is constantly amazed at all she can do because he isn't getting to spend as much time with her as I have gotten to. He'll say "did you know she can stand all by herself unsupported?? Did you know she can crawl to you all the way from over there??" I'm glad he gets to see and share in the fun times of our little GROWING Caroline. We miss him lots while he is at work. To put it mildly. :(

Caroline and I went to Lowe's today to buy packing tape and saran wrap for our furniture! I must say that I don't think I have EVER been this excited, this ready, this happy about a move. I am MORE than ready to be out of this yucky apartment- it will be 1 weeks shy of 3 months that we have been in this dungeon and I am so excited about our house we're renting. The house is not magnificent- but it will be ours! No neighbors above/below, no stairs to climb, a yard and neighborhood for us to explore/meet people, a pool and park a block away. I can't wait! SO we will begin throwing things in boxes every evening and the movers will be here on Aug. 22nd at 8:00 to start the moving process. Pray it all goes smoothly because we don't have a lot of time or resources/people to help. I can't wait!!

Caroline is starting to eat real people food. She had her first breakfast of all good stuff this morning- bananas, toast with applesauce on it, and eggs. She is so much fun to watch eat because she is still figuring out the best way to maneuver her hands to her mouth, but she's doing so well. She's taking a bottle still, but she loves eating whatever we eat, whenever we eat it. She absolutely loves her yo-baby yogurt and squeals with delight when she sees me get it out of the refrigerator. She also has been enjoying teething biscuit cookies. I had NO IDEA how messy these things were!!! She gets covered- head to toe with them each time she eats them, but she is so stinking cute I don't even care! She chows down on those things and enjoys them as she watches sesame street or we are on a stroll, but wherever she has it, her surroundings need hosed down afterwards. She gets to wait till bath time to get hosed down, but furniture gets immediate attention. Today I pulled it away from her because she had dropped it in the carpet, gotten hair all over it, and had nibbled it down to a "chokable" size, and she screamed bloody murder. So, I think she enjoys them. :)

That's all for now- not sure what else I could share. Probably just the grandmothers are reading this anyway...you know how they love those grand babies! :)

Sweet Surprise

Well, I guess it is about time for me to post a blog about the most exciting thing that has been going on in our lives right now.... most of you already know that we are expecting baby #2 around March 4th. We are so excited, so thrilled, and just completely overwhelmed with the wonderful news. While this baby was a surprise for us, we couldn't be more happy about it! It has taken a little while for it to set in, but we are daily falling more and more in love with the idea of a family of 4 and the idea of Caroline becoming a big sister! We are thankful that God is in charge of the master plan, not us, so we are happy the Lord is bringing yet another bundle of joy into our lives! This has been a very different pregnancy that my first with a lot of yucky sick nauseousness with a tad of toilet hugging on the side. BLAH. Bless you ladies that have sickness your entire pregnancy- I pray DAILY that this will pass and be finished. As we approach the end of the 1st trimester I am hopeful that things will get back to normal- whatever that may be! We can't wait to find out whether Caroline will have a brother or a sister- but either way we will be so excited~ although we have a hunch it's a baby boy, but we have never guessed any one's baby correctly, why would we know our own?? So we'll see. I think mid October we should be able to find out. Anyways...there is the fun news! Next Dr. appt we should have a fun picture to show of our little love #2!

conversations with caroline

Caroline and I made our first of many planned trips to Nashville this past week. We went to have a much needed visit with our dear friends from med school- Shaefer, Kristina, and little Camden. We left on Tuesday, made a successful 5 1/2 hour trip in about 6 1/2 hours and arrived at their beautiful townhouse around 5:30 that evening. The drive wasn't so bad...I think I was so excited about getting to see them that I could have drove forever! Caroline did fabulous- just a couple stops, blueberry muffin bribery, and several potty breaks and we were there.

It was SO nice to have another person- even better another best friend- who wakes up at the crack of dawn with you, plays, eats, naps, and enjoys the same daily routine as you. Mommy hood sometimes gets lonely- especially in new towns, so we were thrilled to get to spend every second together. Camden is a tad bit more of an early riser than my little one- but not by much. We were up and dancing each morning by at least 6:30. Cam made her earliest appearance one morning at 4:50- she wanted to see her daddy before he left for the hospital I guess. I hope she didn't share that secret with Caroline- we aim for 7:00 a.m. latest- usually around 6:30-I get her from her crib and bring her to my room. I have successfully taught her how to roll around and be lazy in bed (mommy's bed) for a good 30 minutes while we both "Wake up". Then it's game time. We walked with Kristina's neighbor and son, enjoyed bubbles outside, played really hard with all Cam's toys since they were "new" to Caroline, and even got to go out on some adventures. Kristina and I took the girls to their 2nd tea party (1st was in Macon when they were itty bitty) for lunch and then out to a Japanese steak house for dinner. They did fabulous- as long as good food is involved, they seem to work well with us! Kristina spoiled me rotten with fabulous cooking and a servants heart. She's the best.

Caroline is definitely a mover and a shaker- I think Camden was in awe at how much energy she had! Camden is the most entertaining eater- hopefully Caroline took notes- and she is also an amazing walker now!! She loves to show off her skills. I think Caroline wanted to follow in her footsteps (literally b/c she was on top of Cam most the time) and try climbing stairs. I know that soon Caroline will have these skills mastered...but hopefully mommy has a little more time to go before we are worrying about stair injuries! Kristina got a few good laughs at how clumsy Caroline (or could it be her mommy??) is- she had so many bumps and scratches, but she's a cruiser now- and that's what happens right? Her balance is getting better and better...soon we'll have a walker on our hands!

It was positively heart breaking to leave them on Friday- we missed daddy, but we SO enjoyed girl time. If only we were in the same town....but God had other plans so we'll keep the friendship flame alive from a distance. We can't wait to host them in our new town...once we are in a house and have room. I'm so glad Caroline will have these fun pictures to look back at and remember her first BFF. :)

Fun times!

So these past few weeks have been so much fun- but so busy. Sorry for the lack of blogging. Brad's parents and Niki came to visit us last weekend. We were so excited to have them surprise us with an early flight. I was already back in bed snuggled up during Caroline's fist nap when my phone rings and it's Deb. I ignored and thought I would call her later when I got up. Then I heard pounding on the front door- through closed doors and a box fan. When what to my wondering eyes did appear-- but the Hobbs standing on our doorstep!! It was like Christmas! We had a whole extra day to spend with them. Hopefully they didn't mind my bedhead and pj's too much. :)

We spent Thursday thru Monday enjoying every second of their visit. Caroline was in HEAVEN with so many playmates- all anxious to pick her up each and every second she was awake...and then they were equally as anxious to be the "one" to put her down for her nap and get to watch her fall asleep. I couldn't have asked for anymore of a break that weekend- I was in much need of a little R&R so they came at the perfect time! I got to sleep in, go out sans baby- to lunch and a movie with Niki, sit back and relax during the day, and only be "mommy" when absolutely necessary. Don't get me wrong- I love being Caroline's mommy...but every mommy knows how good it feels to have someone truly share the load! Thank you a million and seven times Hobbs. It was truly fabulous! The only thing missing was having Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah here- hopefully we'll get to see them soon!!

Brad got to visit a little while they were here, though he worked majority of the time. We went and had dinner at the hospital one night and enjoyed seeing him in his doctor roll. He was the busiest he had ever been that weekend, so he was exhuasted when he got home post call on the Monday they were leaving to go home. He stayed up for a delicious french toast breakfast by chef nana Deb, then he hit the sack. We all packed up and headed to the airport for a day of stand by fun...which thankfully ended perfectly with them on a 4:45 flight back to ATL. We said one goodbye, watched them go through security, then headed to the airport restaurant to wait and see if they had to wait for the next flight- which they did. So we had an hour to eat and play and say our goodbyes one more time before they jumped on the next flight. It was so sad to say goodbye- but we know we'll see them next month in Georgia when we come home for the first time. So as long as there is a "next time" on the calendar, maybe it won't be so bad....but we do miss our families TERRIBLY. We love you all!

Aunt Carrot

We were so blessed to have my sister Cara come spend the week with us last week- hence the absence of blogs...we were busy playing! :) She flew into LR on Tuesday evening and stayed till Saturday night. It was SO good to have her here- she loves Caroline so much and it's truly amazing to see how Caroline loves her Aunt so much! CGH has started to have some separation anxiety/issues with people she isn't familiar with so it's always my prayer that whenever family comes around she won't freak out and act silly like she doesn't recognize them. Well my heart was overjoyed when she say Cara she reached for her and hugged her and ate her hair (her new act of endearment) like she hadn't skipped a beat! Sometimes I think that all the hours my sis put into helping me keep Caroline while I finished work helped ingrain her into Caroline's little heart. It was fun to see the interaction. We didn't really do a whole lot of anything while Cara was here- just hung out, swam, ate good food, and attempted to sleep. Caroline must have known Cara was here because she decided to wake up each night- wide eyed and bushy tailed- for hours on end while we attempted to sleep. She must have known we had company and wanted to make every minute count!

Cara and her husband Chris are expecting their 1st sweet little boy to arrive at the end of October. We can't wait!! It's so fun to see her going through all the pregnant emotions, thoughts, and actions that I just went through. I love it! I wish I were closer to be able to share in her EVERYDAY life and routines- but that's not the way it is right now, so we'll make the best of what we have. I'll see them again the last week in August for her baby shower. I can't wait!!

Big Girl Shoes!

Ok, so is it just me or do Caroline's new shoes make her look like such a big girl?? Or is it the little bike she's riding, or the teeth she's sporting? I think she is really getting big...despite my efforts to keep her in "babydom" forever. We may have a toddler on our hands! She officially has started crawling- on her 8 month bday she realized she could go wherever she wanted as fast as she wanted if she would put forth a little effort...she has the will...so she will find a way! Then today, she was supposed to be napping and I noticed she was making a little bit of "conversation" via the monitor, so I peeked at the video monitor...only to see her feet. She was standing up in her crib! We knew the day was coming, but it's blowing my mind how fast it has arrived! So I went in and luckily was able to capture a picture, then put her back to sleep, despite both of our excitement. She looks like she is giving a little "devilish" grin...which could mean she's up to no good. Hopefully she'll be able to figure out how to get back down once she's pulled herself up...or it could be an even longer-louder night time routine. I officially let her cry it out the whole night last night...again. I feel like I've done this 77 times, but I have officially hit exhaustion- so it's time. She slept from 7-2:45. Then she cried, and cried, and cried. Now, some parents tell me "I know it's horrible! Our baby cried for like...45 minutes!" Well, we have a bit of a different child on our hands. She can cry like the best of them and proceeded to cry for 2 1/2 hours- around 5 when daddy left for work she went back to sleep and didn't budge til 7:45 (wahoo!!). Hopefully tonight we'll have a little less....and then a little less...until hopefully she's snoozing through the night. We'll see. Pray hard! She's a tough cookie!!

Secret Admirerers

I have been spoiled this week!!! I must say it has been a rough week...not feeling good, busy husband, tiny apartment, firecracker of a baby that NEVER stops and still won't sleep through the night....anyway, it all started feeling a bit heavy. Until my days were brightened by these SWEET surprises!! My amazing sister, Cara, sent me the most gorgeous edible arrangement of fresh fruit...yummy!! It was delicious. I was SO excited to see it arrive on Tuesday afternoon.

Then today, what do I find at my door?? But a box from Mrs. Fields Cookie Company! It had a whole bunch of different sweet treats and yummy snacks in it. I frantically searched to find out who blessed me with my sugar high for the day, but there was no name attached to the message. SO...if whoever sent me the sweet cookies will fess up and admit to your thoughtfulness, I want to thank you!!

Thanks to everyone for your calls, goodies, mail, packages, and listening ears. You have all been my rock through the past few weeks. I love you all very much. I wish I could share my cookies with you!

Moo!!!

Today was National Cow Appreciation Day at Chick fil A. Since I definitely appreciate Chick fil a, I thought we would go be supporters of our favorite fast food establishment. Once again, Brad was post call but joined us anyway. We have the best daddy/husband ever! Amber and I have been pining over Chick fil a since we got to Arkansas. We were used to eating CFA at least once a week, if not more in Georgia. Well, it's a different story here. Reason #1- there is only 1 CFA in Little Rock, and one in the mall food court. You would think in a city this size there would be several, but they don't realize what they're missing! #2- We are living in a new realm of "budget-dom" where eating out is not as frequent as it used to be. Who would have thought a chicken sandwich could make your day so much brighter?? Well our Friday afternoon was devoted to this fun day- and to make it even better- since our little one was dressed head to toe in cow attire, one value meal was free! One day Caroline will be eating her little chicken nuggets along side mommy and daddy- but this year she was still snacking on her peas and sweet potatoes. We played on the playground for a little while after we were done eating until our heads were about to combust with all the screaming little cows running around in there. I actually had to lift a 8 year old boy out from behind a slide because he got stuck...oh the adventures of CFA. Gotta love it!

REWIND the weekend

Monday evening we met the Rutledges at the Big Dam Bridge- no, I didn't cuss. That is what it's called. It is a huge dam over the Arkansas River that lets barges through all day long. I guess that is it's main purpose, but 2nd to that it is a hot spot for bikers, walkers, joggers, etc. We decided since it was not particularly scorching that evening to walk a little ways. We only made it half way before baby girl was ready for her dinner, but it was fun. I would love to go back sometime soon and do the whole bridge- but little love will have to be in a great mood for that one. She doesn't like either of her strollers much anymore, so the carrier is what we have been using and it seems to be pacifying her for the most part...for now at least. After that, I'm not sure what we'll try. Amber mentioned she had a red wagon. We may be sporting that next week! :)

She got a good little nap in before the adventure.

This is where you start- well you can start on both sides, but this was our side of the river.

Amazingly we ran into THE only other person I know in Little Rock- my 2nd cousin Travis. He was enjoying the evening as well.

Both dads were post call with almost no sleep- so major props go out to them for enjoying an evening with the family. Notice they are both propped up on the rail, probably trying to keep themselves from falling down they were so tired. I must say, Brad was sporting baby girl as best he could...she enjoyed riding on her daddy for the way up the bridge, but insisted mommy carry her down on the way back.

I want to stop here for a minute and tell you what troopers these boys are! They have only been new residents for 6 days- and both had around 79 hours logged already. They have been busting their tails working non-stop everyday and their brains are officially on overload. BUT, they are turning into doctors!! It's so fun to hear the new milestones they hit each day. And it is reassuring that they are in a profession that they LOVE. Brad really has enjoyed his work- apart from the tiredness. From wearing 6 pagers at once, answering all consultations, and writing/dictating discharge summaries and notes all day long- these boys deserve a medal....or at least a nice walk across a bridge. :)

Caroline got her first set of wheels this weekend! She has with out a doubt gotten bored out of her mind with all her "baby toys" and has needed something new and exciting to entertain her through out our days at home. So we made a trek to wally world and picked out this fun toy and some new books. I must say, books are her favorite- no toy has yet to pique her interest as much as her touch and feel books. I'm glad- books don't take near as much effort on mommy's part!

CGH was sporting her Georgia onesie today and we really were asked if that was for the Greenbay Packers. REALLY?? No, GOOOOOOO DAWGS!! SIC 'EM!

SATURDAY

Even though daddy was post call and very sleepy on the 4th, we made it out to a few festivities at the Clinton Library Park. They had moonwalks, music, yummy fair food (which we gave in and got a foot long corn dog, nachos, and a lemonade!) and lots of people. It was very hot, but we enjoyed it for as long as we could. No fireworks this year- except for the ones outside our window around 10:00 that woke us up. We missed being with friends and family a lot! Holidays- even as small as the 4th of July- are just not the same with out your loved ones.

I love this picture...but the silly girl climbing the hill like Godzilla kinda ruins it.

You can't catch me!!

Why can't I jump on those bouncey things??

Peabody Ducks

Waiting for the ducks to come...

THE Duck Master of Ceremonies

As I told several of my friends, the ducks were not all they were quacked up to be. It was kind of a fowl show. I quack myself up.

Think on these things

Today was one of those days where it just seemed like everything went wrong that could go wrong and little Caroline didn't seem to be on the same page with me no matter how hard I tried. We started our day off extra early, which didn't help, and naps were not as long as I would have hoped for. I tried to take her out to see the Peabody Hotel Duck fanfare- she screamed most the time we were there and wouldn't sit in her stroller (see video). So then we tried swimming- lasted 10 minutes. I think it took an hour to get ready and get there. Oh well. Then we came inside and attempted to play- not going to have it. Mommy was tired, and evidently so was sweetpea because I finally had no other choice/or idea but to pick her up, throw her in the car and drive. We drove about 1/2 mile and she conked out and took a good 45 minute nap, during which I was having phone therapy and a Dr.Pepper. I knew today was going to be a long day because Brad is on call and wouldn't be home to break up the evening. And to pout just a little bit more...he'll be home in the a.m. after morning rounds, sleep all day, and then go back Sunday morning and stay the night again. BUT I could go on and on about the "not fun" aspects of my day, but I think I'll choose to cling to this verse instead:

“Finally, brothers (or sisters :)), whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Philippians 4:8 ESV).

So on that note, let's change gears. As I bathed Caroline and got her ready for bed my mind started filling with all the many different things I love about her. She is SUCH a blessing in my life and I could not count a day like today against her. My mind was flooded with all the sweet things about my little girl. It's almost a nightly routine of mine that as I'm putting her down for the night I get teary eyed thinking about all that she means to me. She is growing up so fast, and constantly amazes me.

Things I love about Caroline Grace (7 months 3 weeks old)

-I love how she needs me.

-I love how she breaths me and practically eats my face when she's upset and needs her mama.

-I love her sweet voice.

- I love how she is experimenting with new sounds and inflections.

-I love that you greet everyone you meet with a smile and a coo.

-I love that you have the fastest growing fingernails that I have ever seen.

-I love that you keep one eye barely open when you're falling asleep as if to say "not yet...don't lay me down just yet..."

-I love to watch you sleep in my arms

-I love how you take one last big sigh before you give it up and finally fall to sleep at night

- I love you how know when to be gentle and play with my hair and face while you fall asleep

-I love the way you will sit up and give me the biggest sweetest smile when you know you are supposed to be getting sleepy

-I love the way you and I share moments/looks that makes it feel like we are sharing our own personal joke

-I love how you think I'm hilarious

-I love how you belly laugh and snort when I get you tickled

-I love how you enjoy meal time...you love to eat!!

-I love feeding you with a spoon- we now play airplane and make funny noises to make it that much more enjoyable.

-I love how you love to stand up...all the time.

-I love how you think you can stand up on your own, but can't

-I love how you are a tough girl and don't cry when you fall

-I love how you know how to "turn on the waterworks" just for pity- sometimes it works!

-I love how you have private conversations with the big teddy bear in your room that aunt Cara gave you.

-I love how you have discovered how to knock down blocks- and refuse for them to stay stacked

-I love how you stick your bath toys ALL the way in your mouth at all times

-I love that you love bath time with your daddy

-I love how you look in your towels

-I love your strawberry blond hair and eyebrows

-I love that you have the most perfect nose

-I love that you kiss me on the lips

-I love that you are mesmerized by TV, most of all Baby Einstein

-I love that you can sit up and crawl (when you want to)

-I love that you LOVE to read books- that may be your favorite activity

-I love that you turn the pages in the book

-I love that you love paper- any kind...mail, magazines, books, etc. and try to eat it immediately

-I love that you eat price tags off of items and they get so soggy the clerk can't check us out.

-I love that you enjoy seeing your family on the computer and really have recognized their faces and voices finally

-I love that you wake up so stinking happy in the morning

-I love that you enjoy playing in our big bed once you wake up and mommy can't seem to get going!

-I love that you have started putting puffs into your mouth all by yourself- though I don't think you really like the flavor

-I love that you make funny faces when you taste things that are new

-I love that you enjoy being outside

-I love that you have a fascination with plants- trees, leaves, flowers

-I love that you love other babies- and scream with delight when they start to play with you

-I love that you move your hands and feet in all directions when you get excited

-I love that you have 2 favorite books- Baby Animals Touch and Feel and At the Zoo- we retired Corduroy goes to the Doctor...

-I love that you enjoy typing on the computer

-I love that you have big feet like your mommy

-I love your fascination with Isabelle the cat- and the fact that Isabelle actually likes you!

-I love that you love being blown on- it gets you every time

-I love that you enjoy your car seat most of the time

-I love that you suck on your passy EVERY way imaginable except the "right" way

-I love that you love Hippity Hop the white scruffy bunny

And the list could go on and on, but I'll end with one last thing...

-I love that you love me unconditionally...even when I have bad days like today.

I have learned so many new lessons since I have become a parent that have helped me understand and relate to my Heavenly Father in such a new way. If I feel this way for my own sweet little one, how much love does God have for all His children? And to press on a bit deeper...how in the WORLD did He sacrifice His only son...for me? Who and what am I to deserve that? Would I do the same? I'm afraid of that answer. So I guess I'm getting a little deep here, but that's the power of Love I guess. Love from a child, and love from my Savior. I am so blessed.

Whispering Sweet Nothings

Today was a good day altogether- nothing very exciting. I am attempting to get Caroline back on her sleep schedule/nap pattern, and I would say she did about 50% better...maybe tonight and tomorrow we'll see 75%...and then 100%! I just want to get some zzzz's at night. I enjoy her enthusiasm to play with me and love on me into the wee hours, but I need to get some rest!

This video was taken at lunchtime- and yes, she's still in her PJ's. We had nowhere to go, so she was still lounging. So was mommy...but I stayed off the camera.

Brad went up to the hospital for his 1st day before his 1st day on the job. He rounded with the residents and got to know where he will be spending the next 2 months of his life. He is starting out at the Children's Hospital doing pediatric surgery. It's a killer I think. He is on call 10 times this month (at the hospital) and only has one weekend off...which is post call if that even counts! So I think he'll be tired and we'll be missing him bunches, but it's officially time to start what we have been called to do. It's amazing to look back into our past and see that God has shaped us, built us, and designed us to be right here in this place. Sometimes it looks pretty bleak, I'm not going to lie. BUT I know that the Lord has had these plans for me since I was a tiny tot- and now I get to see Him prove His faithfulness to me. You couldn't ask for anything better than that!

It is really neat sitting here thinking about all our med school buddies that are about to start their professional careers tomorrow. I'm sure there will be a lot of tossing and turning tonight. My heart goes out to them, their spouses and their families. They are ready...they just have to take their first steps tomorrow. Please say a special prayer for Brad as he begins work tomorrow. I know he would appreciate them...and we'll let you know how the first day goes tomorrow!

Daytime fun...

Caroline and Izzy have become best pals...despite the hair pulling they seem to get along fine!

I can stand up!!

Today Caroline showed her skills and was standing up on her own for the first time successfully. First while I was drying my hair- she was sitting on my bedroom floor and scooted over to the excersaucer and just pulled her little self right up. Then, this evening before bed she was practicing her pull ups on the diaper box...amazing how fascinating little things become when it involves your own child! Maybe the grandparents will gloat along with us...I'm sorry to bore the rest of you! :)

My baby is a carnivore- see video

We had a great afternoon at the park by the RiverMarket downtown. They had a lot of fun stuff to do for kids- I couldn't help but get excited for the days when Caroline can run around and enjoy playgrounds, slides, and water fun on her own. But until then, mommy and daddy are making sure she gets to experience them the best she can. It was so hot and yucky we didn't stay long. And, we forgot her hat and sunscreen...we were very naive to think she would stay covered in her stroller...hahaha. That lasted about 5 minutes. She loved the water fun- it reminded me of the Atlanta World of Coke fountains in Centennial Park. We got as close to getting wet as possible with all the kiddos splashing around. We made some new little friends- but Caroline scared them away....watch the video at the end. I think she was showing off her new top pearly white! The little girl was NOT enthused. :)

Dinner is always better with friends...

Friday night I cooked a boston butt bbq style and we had the Rutledge's over for dinner. Those boston butts are humongous and we always need help eating it! The kids played, ate, and even got to take a splish splashing bath together. The daddies were so kind to bathe them while the mommies got to sit and relax for a few minutes. I think it was good prep work for Lane to have a little one in the bath with him...only a few short months and he will have his little brother here.

Saturday afternoon Jonathan and Brad decided to use an electric smoker to cook some chicken quarters for us to eat. We went over to their house and enjoyed their nice, roomy HOME...I always get a twinge of jealousy when I am there and have to come home to the tiny little apartment. :( There home is beautiful and we had a fabulous time. Amber made some yummy pineapple upside down cakes that knocked our socks off. Thanks for such a delicious dinner guys. I am sure we'll do it again sometime soon...like tomorrow...and the next day...hahahaha. We love our Rutledge friends.

Lazy Sunday Afternoon

Daddy got to play some too!

LOVED the slide!!

After her Sunday morning nap

This morning we went back to the same church we have been visiting. We really love the music and could see ourselves ending up there, but we also know we should probably give a few more places a try and see where God leads us. It is full of young couples with children and reminds us a lot of Ingleside, just a bit larger! Something like 6,000 people flow through this church on an average Sunday morning. It is nice though- very worshipful environment. AND we have YET to get pages from the nursery!! Caroline enjoyed her 2nd day at the nursery and this was the comment I received after the service "she's a busy little one isn't she??" and I just laughed and said, "uh huh" thinking, I have to wrangle this "busy" one all day long! But I think she was pretty good- if she has a bottle, you can't go wrong! We got up around 8:00 this morning and I decided that it would probably be best to go to the 9:00 service to stay as close to her sleeping schedule as we possibly could. We rushed around getting presentable and ran out the door and made it with 3 minutes to spare. After it was over and we picked CGH up from the nursery I realized that I had forgotten to even put little bloomers on Caroline's behind...she was bottomless! Her dress was long and poofy though, so hopefully no one got diaper-mooned! :) Oh, where has my brain gone??

We decided to go out to a nearby park this afternoon between Caroline's naps because it was ONLY about 94 degrees out...instead of the 104 degrees that it has been the past few days! We hopped in the car, drove a few blocks and found this playground. It was Caroline's first experience...and I think it was a hit! She enjoyed the swings but I think her favorite was going down the slide with daddy. :)

It's a....

BOY!! My sister is having a little boy! They told family and friends today. We are SO excited!! Caroline will have a little buddy to play with now. I am sure she will be able to keep up. We can't wait to meet him. We'll have to wait until October...but until then, I cannot quit imagining what this precious little one will be like! We love you baby Seaver!!

Little Lane

It was truly amazing that God allowed 2 out of the 3 incoming ENT residents at UAMS to be from Mercer. It made the idea of moving to Little Rock a bit easier to swallow. Literally. On match day the lump in my throat disappeared after we locked eyes with the Rutledges and realized we were going to the same place. Amber and Jonathan Rutledge have a precious little boy named Lane who is 2 going on 20. He is a ball of energy! I must say that from the moment Caroline laid eyes on him, she was smitten! Just look at him...wouldn't you be?? She LOVES to watch him play, watch him watch TV, watch him swim, you get the point. They have really started to get to hang out a lot more since they are each others first buds in Little Rock. She loves to pull his gorgeous hair and scream sweet nothings into his ears! :) I don't know if I am to keen on her dating older men, but he's a sweetie. Amber is also expecting another little boy in November. Maybe she'll take after her mommy and go after a younger man....

Our First Playdate!!

Today was our first official playdate! A 5th year ENT resident wife, Rebecca Lee, invited Caroline and I to come play at their house this afternoon. Amber, our wonderful friend from Macon, and her little boy Lane were invited as well. We went and enjoyed an afternoon with Rebecca, her sweet little 21 month old daughter Alex and David, who is about 4 weeks old maybe?? Anyway, Rebecca gets MAJOR props for being such a great mommy and so active after just having her sweet little boy. We swam, chewed dolphins, played in the hose, and got dirty! It was fun to watch Caroline watch the "big kids" and want SO desperatly to join in the fun. She hung in there like a trooper and enjoyed the pool and splashing with them. I have learned that playdate in a kiddie pool for baby means playdate in the kiddie pool for mommy as well...I got drenched! But it actually felt nice in the 100 degree weather! We can't wait to do it again sometime soon.

Playtime

Pinnacle Point Park...aka The Worst Day in Little Rock so far

So our apartment is teeny tiny. I get bored, Brad gets bored, and I know that Caroline gets bored playing with the same toys in the same room with the same lighting etc. When we were in our house we would always have the option of going outside and enjoying our nice yard for a mix in scenery. Apartment life is not so easy to enjoy the great outdoors with. Every day at some point we run out the door, carry the stroller down the flight of stairs, and take a quick stroll around the concrete apartment complex for as long as we can bear the heat. But that doesn't count as real outdoor experience in my mind.

I decided that even though I had hurt my back on Saturday night (not sure exactly the cause, but I'm pretty sure it has to do with lifting my sweet little juicy baby up and down all day) that I would get out and attempt to exercise. That is what my dr. hubby recommended anyway. So I get all geared up, in my exercise clothes, tennis shoes, packed a bag with toys, a beach towel to sit on, lunch for baby (in case we get to stay through lunch time) and head out the door with high expectations. I wanted to go experience Pinnacle Point- a big mountain/state park about 10 m miles away. It was really hot, but I thought we could do it. I slathered Caroline down with sunscreen (and made sure it was on for at least 3o minutes before exposure! :) ) and we got to the park. I pull out the BOB stroller, my hiking/walking companion, and put the tot in.

Well, she wasn't liking it from the get go, but I took the advice of one of my smart mommy friends and decided I would just let her cry a bit while I got my exercise and enjoyed my excursion. Well, the crying turned to shrieking and the fellow hikers, and bird watchers started giving dirty looks. I guess the wildlife doesn't hang around when there is a screaming banshee near by. So I took her out of the stroller, and we headed to a nice grassy area to sit and play. She immediately decided she despised all her favorite toys and found a new affinity for grass. She has always enjoyed touching and feeling plants...since day one. So I thought, ok, let her play. She's allowed to get dirty, we'll bathe when we get home. I think I was successful in not letting her eat any of it, but the grass play only lasted about 5 minutes. She was hot, fussy, and not having it. So our morning out lasted from 9:45 to about 10:25...max. She screamed all the way home in her car seat, and when I finally got her out she had broken out in hives all over her face. Now, as a novice mommy I have learned that my child can work herself up into such a tizzy that she makes herself all read and splotchy- drama queen with a capital DQ. BUT there was something in me that panicked and thought "what if there was something in that grass she was playing with!! She's allergic!!" So I grabbed her, ran up the stairs and decided to put her right in the tub.

My back had been feeling fine so far and I thought I could manage the bathing experience if I took my shoes off and just sat behind her little tub inside of the big garden tub. Well she wasn't digging her bath for some reason and decided she was done. She starting crying, pulling up and basically stood up. I quickly grabbed her towel, and pulled her up, and then it happened....something AWFUL pulled in my lower back and I couldn't move. At all. I panicked and thought, "what am I going to do???" I waited a few seconds as I collected my self, and somehow managed to grab the screaming baby, get out of the tub, walk to the living room, drag my purse by my toes to the quilt laying on the floor, and we both hit the floor....both in tears. I couldn't move. I couldn't get my wet baby diapered or calm. She eventually decided we were playing a game and started laughing at me, which made me cry harder! So I am texting back and forth with Brad, b/c he's in orientation, and finally pull it together enough to get a diaper on the babe despite the excruciating pain in my back. Luckily it was nap time, so I threw a shirt on Caroline, waddled to her crib, and set her down. She didn't like it, but eventually she fell asleep as I laid on the floor wondering how in the world I was going to make it through the day. I finally took 2 Tylenol and my sweet girl slept for 2 solid hours while I rested.

The rest of the day was spent watching Baby Einstein and jumping in her jumper. I was worthless. The good news....today I feel much better!! We didn't attempt anything major today- just a quick stop at a store, and my back is still in tact! Thank you to all my sweet family that is praying for my recovery- I never knew how BAD back pain could be! Hopefully I will be quick to heal...because Caroline doesn't slow down- not even when mommy begs her too!

I love my daddy!

Caroline LOVES her daddy! He has such a sweet, special touch with her that she reacts so well to! She knows that her daddy will take care of her. While Caroline is DEFINITELY going through a clingy-mommy phase right now, she is absolutely smitten with her dad as well. He can make her giggle the loudest, smile the biggest, and fall asleep the easiest. Brad has cherished his time with his little girl before his busy schedule begins. I have NO doubt that he will continue being the perfect dad for our sweet little girl.

Monday Milestones

Monday was a big day for Miss CGH. She has been working on these skills for quite awhile now and we knew the day was about to come. She has officially learned to sit up on her own in her crib. We have a video monitor and when she started fussing at her wake up time (which is 6:45!! Eeeek!) I clicked the monitor on and what did I see? A sweet little baby sitting in the corner of her crib waiting for her mommy to come get her. She has been sitting for a long time now, but getting into the position is a bit more challenging. Not anymore! She has it down and ever since Monday, each nap, nights sleep, is ended with her sitting up in her favorite corner. I put a few toys in her crib during her nap time in case she wants to just "chill" before or after she snoozes. She is absolutely a big girl- now I know that the standing up is going to come quick. I haven't noticed if she knows how to lay back down once she's up...it can't be to hard to figure out.

2nd milestone- the sippy cup! I have taken the advice of my fellow mommies and given her a sippy cup (1/2 juice 1/2 water) and tried to let her "learn" to drink it on her own. Until now she has just enjoyed gnawing on it with her 2 little teeth. BUT on Monday, after a lot of mimicking mommy, she tipped the cup up herself and enjoyed almost a complete cup of juice! She had half of it down her outfit, but she enjoyed it! Next to drinking from it, her favorite thing to do is chunk the cup as far as she can across the room- she gets added distance if she is in her high chair. She will take it and sling it like a shot put...or whatever you call those things! :) Anyway, Cheers to Caroline!

Orientation Begins!

Brand new part of the hospital.

This is the ENT building.

The whole campus.

Today marks the first day of orientation for Brad. He was very excited, and a tad nervous. I am confident that he will do amazing and exceed all expectations during his residency. It's just "his way" of doing things. I'm so proud of him and am praying that I will be ALL he needs me to be during this exciting time in our lives.

She has the position down...

Caroline turned 7 months old on Friday, June 19th and she decided it was time to take her first few "crawls". Of couse as soon as I turn the video on she freezes and gives up, but maybe this will give you a little taste of what she's up to these days. She tempts you in this video...I know that any day now we'll look over and she'll be going 90 to nothing on those little hands and knees. After a few minutes she gives up, and and flails around on her belly. I can't believe we're so close to crawling...look out world!! Wow! She's such a big girl!

For Lee Parish

Ever since we learned that we would be moving to Little Rock our wonderful friend Lee Parish has been telling us that we needed to visit a pizza joint called US Pizza. Well today we finally did. We have seen several of them spread out all over town but we chose the one in the Hillcrest area. It looked rather new, so I bet this wasn't the exact location that is held so dear in Lee's heart, but it was awesome. We enjoyed our own little personal pan pizzas (their lunch special) and it was delicious! We took my parents there and they liked it...so Lee, you are right, US Pizza is the bomb. I'm sure we'll be making frequent trips back to this restaurant. Thanks for the rec! We look forward to the day when your sweet family comes to visit and we can all dine together! :)

My Love Day!

Brad and I will celebrate our 4 year wedding anniversary on the 25th...which is next week. BUT since my parents are in town this week, we decided to take a "day date" and spend the day together. We thought about going away for a night- but honestly, I just didn't feel ready to leave sweet Caroline yet. I know SHE would be fine, it's ME that would struggle. SO we planned a fun day in our new town of Little Rock. I LOVE it when Brad takes the initiative, calls to make reservations and plans something special for us and he did an amazing job giving me just what I wanted today.

We woke up early...around 6 because CGH must have gotten word that mommy and daddy were leaving for the day, she wanted to play before we even made it out of the house. We did get out by 8 and headed to Starbucks where we relaxing, drank coffee and ate yummy blueberry muffins. We sat outside in the perfect weather and reminisced on our relationship. Crazy how far God has brought us...and even more amazing to think about where we will be in the future. The important thing is that we are TOGETHER. I thought about our past and wanted to include a few pics from the early stages of our relationship to B.C. (before Caroline). Forgive me...I got a little carried away. It's tough to pick just a few from our 5 1/2 years of dating, and 4 years of marriage...I think you can see which are the oldies...












Anyway....after Starbucks we went to the Clinton Presidential Center/Library. This was our one "touristy" spot for the day. Since we are now living in LR, we thought we should try and visit the "hot spots" of the town so we can know what to recommend. It was pretty neat- a replica of the real oval office and other good stuff. Not to mention that they were featuring some space exploration study this month. They had this 3-axis spinner thing (the technical term) that you get strapped into and they spin you upside down, around and round like you're in space. It was nuts! And of course, if you know Brad Hobbs, we had to do it....so we did. And it was an experience. We do have video of that, still debating whether or not to share. :)

After that we got to go to the best part of the day...THE SPA! We treated ourselves to a massage and facial at a local day spa. It was marvelous!!! Best massage I've had...and it was my first one given by a man...so I may become a believer in men-masseuses. :) We spent several hours there and were totally relaxed and rejuvenated when we left.

We were hungry after that so we headed to a local restaurant- The Old Mill Bread and Flour Cafe. It was so yummy! We had a light lunch (after the spa you seem to want to eat healthy...)of soup and salad or sandwich. They make tons of breads and yummy baked goods. We ended up buying a loaf of Cinnamon swirl bread to bring home with us. Can't wait to try it.

We were so greasy from our rub down massages and facials that we ran by the apartment to shower and get dressed for the rest of our afternoon/evening. We got to steal some kisses from CGH and thanked mom and dad profusely for given us a day of "freedom" that we so desperately needed.

Then we went and "dream" shopped at some pricey shops. Brad said it was dumb, I said it gives me inspiration to mimic it with cheaper versions of everything. It was fun for awhile, and totally mindless, which was the ultimate goal.

We had dinner reservations at a local restaurant called Trios. It was amazingly delicious and I can't wait to go back try something else. It's a little hole in the wall place that slowly filled up with people as the evening continued. I had a yummy Berrylicious Beef tenderloin Salad- blueberries, strawberries, feta, toasted walnuts...mmmmmm....I loved it! Brad had Pretzel crusted pork tenderloin with amazing steamed veggies. We had peach tea that was perfect- No sweetened tea in a lot of places it seems, but they always have some way to make it yummy. It was a perfect ending to our date day.

We headed home in a hurry and grabbed Caroline and the rents and hit the pool for a quick evening swim at the pool. She loved it, the water was perfect, and we all had a good time.

Today was truly the PERFECT day. Not just because of the things we got to do, but because we got to spend the day together. I LOVE being with Brad no matter what the occasion and I have learned to truly cherish each minute we get to spend with one another. As the busy season lies ahead of us, we will hopefully look back on this day and remember it as our final day of relaxation and love before the chaos begins! I'm sure there will be more of these in the years to come....100 more hopefully!

The Talented Mr. Rew

We were so blessed to get to spend time with our family this past weekend. One special member of my immediate family is my little brother Andrew. He's not so little anymore though. We call him Rew...so he is Uncle Rew to Caroline. He is a musician and is so extremely talented at almost any instrument he picks up...but his specialty is the guitar. He has an amazing voice that usually accompanies his guitar playing. He is at home with mom and dad in Rome, GA for a season, but calls Asheville, North Carolina his home. We loved seeing him this weekend. Come visit us soon in Little Rock Uncle Rew!!

Here is a video of Caroline's first pool experience. It was a bit cold since it had stormed the night before, but she got used to it quickly. She lasted all of 20 minutes until she was ready to get out. Her daddy took such good care of her! Can't wait until we get to go again...maybe 30 minutes!

More to come...videos take FOREVER to upload.

The camera is hooked up...

Here are a bunch of random pictures from the last week. There are more, but this is what time allowed for now!

Isabelle contemplating a long jump off the balcony of our apartment...hopefully she will never gain the courage to do it.

Brad attempting to find something in our storage room in the apartment. He actually did find it...surprisingly!

Boxes have made such wonderful toys!

Trying to call all her Georgia friends to tell them how awesome Little Rock is!

Caroline with Nana Deb and Papa Ron on the morning of our long trip to Arkansas.

The Wakefields have arrived!

My parents have arrived in Little Rock! They got here last night and we enjoyed dinner at home in our little cozy apartment. Caroline is enjoying her grammy and grandpa being around. We had lunch at a Arkansas renound bbq place called The Whole Hog. Grandpa enjoyed feeding sweet girl while I got to eat. She loved his rendition of lunch much better than what mommy usually offers- much more sound effects and tricks.

We are headed to Branson, Missouri tomorrow for a family reunion on Tablerock Lake. It should be fun to see all our family in one place and relax on the lake. Vacation + little baby will be a blast- I'm sure she will have a set of arms to hold her at all times....she is about to get spoiled!! We can't wait!

August....hurry up!!!

Many of you know we have been house hunting for a long time...since we found out about our move to Little Rock. We tried and tried to find the right house, made several offers, with no prevail. It was obvious that God was closing these doors right and left and had something better for us. Since we won't be "rolling in the dough" during Brad's residency and I am choosing to stay at home we were having trouble finding a nice house that we were interested in buying for the right price...which happens to be peas and carrots. :) I was beginning to get a tad frustrated with the idea of not having a house anytime soon. We started to feel "stuck" until.....

We found a darling little neighborhood close to the hospital that is supposedly all the rage. We drove around in it a few nights ago and revisited last night. We found a house for rent in the neighborhood and decided we would do it! Brad signed the lease this afternoon. It is in Cammack Village and adjacent to the Heights/Hillcrest area. Everyone we spoke with reccommended this area to us, but most of the homes were a little to pricey for us to purchase- and they are all older 40's bungalow style homes that need some work/maintenence, so we hadn't looked further into it.

The neighborhood is full of young families and they are out and about walking their babies, playing with their kids in the yard, or visiting the community pool and park that is a block away from our new "home". The house itself is nothing to rave about. It's old and wouldn't be one we would consider buying ourselves, but we decided safety, location, and hospital accessibility ranked high on our list. It is about 10 minutes from the hospital. It has a stores, restaurants, and coffee shops a few blocks away that are easy to walk to. Cammack Village is a city of it's own located in Little Rock and they have their own police dept. that is SERIOUS about keeping the area safe and sound. We saw them paroling several areas as we simply drove around looking at the cute houses. Our landlord mentioned that the police would probably come meet us personally once we moved in and help with anything they can. This area is said to be the safest area of Little Rock which puts my mind at ease. I think we'll love it. We can make any house a home- new or not!

We are kind of excited about renting after owning our home in Macon. We won't be responsible for all the extra's of owning and maintaining a house (fallen trees, exterior wear and tear, roof, selling, etc). When time and money are slim to none, renting started to appeal to us.

I am very excited and we are looking forward to moving out of this apartment in August. Apartment life is not so much fun- noisy neighbors above, multiple trips up and down flights of stairs for groceries and then add a baby into the mix and it seems next to impossible! Again...pictures to come!

I snuck in without her knowing...

Tessa is the official author of our blog, but I snuck in just to say hello and contribute a recent picture of my beautiful family. We love you all and hope to stay in touch!

Catch Up

Ok, this is my 1st attempt at blogging, and it is also going to be a VERY QUICK one just so I can catch everyone up to date on things while Caroline is napping, so pardon the sporadic order of information!

We are finally in Little Rock! After months and months of planning, packing, and saying goodbyes we have finally landed in our destination. It has been a busy week to say the least but we are starting to feel like our feet will hit the ground soon.

After loading our truck on Sunday afternoon, we stayed with Ben and Sarah for one last evening in Macon. We headed out early Monday morning, June 1st with a caravan of cars headed to Arkansas. Isabelle the cat, Caroline and I were in Brad's truck, followed by Niki and Nana Deb(who quickly gravitated toward our car after the first few hours), Brad driving the 26 ft Penske truck, and his dad, Papa Ron driving my car. We endured the 12 hour trip and were SO blessed to have a happy baby (and cat) during the entire ride! No fussing, no breakdowns, nothing! Caroline did better than most of the adults! We were READY to finally arrive. We owe a lot of thanks to our good pals at Baby Einstein for that- Brad invested in a DVD player for the car. I was very hesitant at first b/c I know babies aren't supposed to watch to much TV and such, but let me tell you....she did amazing and we all kept our sanity for that day, and she maybe only watched her little video 4 times through out the trip, so tsk tsk if I was a bad mommy, but it worked! We smuggled the cat into a hotel for the first night here and enjoyed a nice night of sleep before the big moving day.

We had a little chaos on Tuesday morning as we were supposed to begin unloading our stuff at our apartment. The apartment was not ready, and really wasn't up to par with what I had envisioned in my head. SO...the hunt for a new apartment began that morning at around 10 o'clock. We were so blessed to have found a 3 bedroom (instead of a 2) and were able use the third bedroom as our "storage room" instead of renting one. The move up to the 2nd floor of a tiny apt wasn't too much fun, but we survived. The Hobbs were angels by helping us get set up, cleaned up, organized and stable enough to spend our first night comfortably. It took a few days to get all the boxes out of the way but we kept a lot of things packed up b/c we only signed a 3 month lease in hopes of finding a house to buy/rent for the rest of the time. We will most likely find that we can survive with a lot less "stuff" than we think and will never want to unpack some of those boxes. :)

We love the city of Little Rock so far- we look forward to experiencing it a little more in the weeks to come. It has every kind of retail, restaurant, specialty shop you can imagine. It has rivers, parks, golf courses, and hiking close by. We went down to the river in the downtown area one evening with the Hobbs and enjoyed dinner and seeing where the river market is set up. I would like to go sometime soon when it is open and running. There is a definite divide in the town from safe to unsafe. Brad and his poor dad had to experience a gas station in a not so hot neighborhood as they returned the moving truck. We have heard that about the town, and kind of feel like it may be a lot like Macon where you just don't go into certain necks of the woods. I think most cities that are large enough to have a lot of different kinds of people in it have different areas, that's just how it turns out it seems. But overall we have seen WAY more nice neighborhoods and sites than the other.

We visited Fellowship Bible Church on Sunday morning and it was really neat. We enjoyed it, but I must admit, a few tears were shed as I sat and remembered Ingleside back in Macon. Not because this new church was bad, just different. I missed the familiar faces, the familiar places. Church hunting is an emotional roller coaster it seems because all of our family and friends were tied into our church in Macon, and they are irreplaceable. BUT we know that God is going to bring new friends and loved ones into our lives. We can't wait to meet them! That was church visit #1 and it was very positive. Caroline actually survived the whole church service in the nursery without me getting paged...which is a new thing for those of you who knew how much she loved the nursery at Ingleside heehee. When we came to pick her up afterwards she was playing in an excersaucer next to a few little friends just enjoying herself. Maybe she has lots to talk about since she's moved across the states.

We look forward to my parents coming into town on Tuesday. They will be with us for the next week and a half as we travel with them up to Missouri for a family reunion in Branson. Then they are coming back here with us for a while. It will be great to have them here with us... we miss them already. I am so excited to see my whole family at the reunion this next week. I will get to see my brother, and my sister Cara (who is preggo!!!) and her husband Chris. I can't wait for them to all come out here to visit...maybe when we have a little more space to accommodate. But we are also up to all piling up together in our tiny apartment. :)

Sorry this was a smorgasbord of info...I just wanted to get this blog rolling so that I could jump on it in the future. I'm hoping that once "normal" gets established I will be able to schedule in blogging into my daily routine. So, look for more soon..and yes, pictures will be coming too! We have to find the cords to plug all the cameras/video up with. It is in a box somewhere....