Christmas and more 2009

Oh what fun it was to see Caroline really enjoy her 2nd Christmas! Last year she was only 4 weeks old...this year was a lot different and SO much fun! We absolutely got giddy ourselves planning and taking part in this years Christmas festivities. While this Christmas will go down in the books as being a little different than any Christmas we've had in the past, it was perfect. We really missed seeing all of our family members and extended family. Hopefully next year we will be able to make the trek to Georgia to visit with everyone.

This will probably be the last time we get to "recycle" her birthday gifts and set them out as Santa gifts too...thank you Grammie and Grandpa and Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah! She was so excited to see the car and wagon that she didn't know what to do! She ran over and gave me a hug and then hugged daddy before she dug in to the gifts....something her daddy was notorious for. Priceless moment!! Caroline squealed with delight as she saw her new loot and learned how to rip open presents. I do think that the stockings took the cake though- she LOVED reaching in and pulling things out over and over again. Maybe we should play that game all year long. She was blessed beyond measure by both sets of grandparents and we are so thankful for all her new gifts. Elmo was a hit this year and she loves her new car and wagon. It is so stinking cold out that she has only gotten to enjoy them a few times, but I can see that we will get a lot of use out of both of them. Daddy drives her around the house in them...hope she doesn't expect mommy to do the same! :) Here are just a few snapshots from Christmas morning and a few from the week before when my parents were in town. She LOVED getting to spend time with all the grandparents...we aren't sure what we will do when they are all gone! Brad's parents are still here so pictures will come later of their adventures together. Santa's Surprises!
"Is this really for me??"

I LOVE my car!! She rides in it with one hand on the wheel and one out the window...just chilling. She takes her babies for rides in it too.

The wagon is so much fun! It's a 2 seater...Emily will be joining her next year!

She loved the stockings...even if they were stuffed with a million Gerber Graduate bars :)

Ok, so this picture is not the most becoming of my sweet little goose, but the resemblance between her and Mr. Bubbles is too funny! Caroline's dimples outshine his pink face anyday though!

She could rip the paper off like a pro...and once that was accomplished she moved on. She didn't really care what was inside the box.

Tickle Me Elmo made her giggle all morning long! Thank you Grammie and Grandpa

Working on her new barn puzzle.

Resting and relaxing after a morning full of fun! Caroline actually gave up in the middle of the present opening festivites and opted for a nap. She DOVE for the bed and took a nice long nap in order to rejuvenate for another round of playing with her new toys.

This was on another day...I tried so hard to get her to take some cute pictures in her "festive" Christmas attire...to no prevail as you can see.

Staying up late to dance and celebrate with daddy as he began his 4 day vacation!!

Playing with Grandpa- we were so excited to have him here with us for almost 2 weeks. He helped take care of Caroline while I got some rest. She LOVED spending time with him.

Grammie came in on Sunday and spoiled her rotten! She loved reading and playing with her- one armed and all! Poor Grammie is having surgery on her broken arm this week.

One of her MANY expressions she has started sharing with us...she is full of them and they crack us up.

Rocking around the Christmas tree....

Giving mommy sweet kisses....oh I cherish everyone she gives!!

Admiring the Christmas tree...but not TOUCHING it. She did an amazing job of following our directions and didn't mess with it too much. She was an angel.

Isabelle didn't like the cold weather and attempted to find new and innovative ways to tell us she was ready to come inside. She's nuts.

Cracking up at her singing duck. Possibly her favorite toy ever.

My sweet little angel right after waking up.

13 Months

I wanted to document some of the things Caroline is doing around her first birthday and have meant to do this for the past 2 months...now that I have some time I can actually do this!

At 13 months....

Babbles some...but a woman of few words for the most part. She is starting to mimic us and try to say what we do. She says dada, mama, nana, papa, and attempts to say all gone, brush your teeth, passy, snack, DVD, Einstein, and a few more little phrases.

She understands so much!! She amazes me everyday when I ask her to bring me things, or do things and she actually does! She brought me her boots the other day and followed with her coat, knowing we were about to leave. Whenever I say daddy is coming home, she anxiously waits at the door and points until he arrives.

She still likes to shake her head "no" but doesn't do it quite as much as she did a month or so ago. She is always quick to point when she wants something and communicates very well. Sometimes her expressions crack us up- she can show signs of discontent and confusion very well now. She is always thinking and attempting to figure out the situation at hand.

Caroline is running around 90 to nothing! She is fast...we always have to make sure her little socks have the skids on them or else she's falling all over the hardwood floors. We have the house totally babyproofed though, so she is free to roam.

She loves to chase Isabelle the cat around. Lots of giggles come from her when we tell her to "get that cat!" Bless Isabelle's heart- she has no idea what the next few years will be like!

Caroline LOVES to dance...to anything. Music, singing, the beat of a toy drum, she has rhythm! I love to see her bouncing up and down enjoying the moment. She has no shame and will break it down whenever she feels the urge. We can't wait until she adds some new moves to her repertoire.

She loves playing with cell phones, remotes, keys, and wallets- anything she isn't supposed to have. We have 3 old phones for her to play with, but she still will try her hardest to get mommy and daddy's real ones. She still loves books, but has turned into a speed reader- only interested in certain pictures or flipping the pages. It's amazing how she still has her favorite tried and true books that we can always fall back on- Little Quack, Zoo Animals, Baby Einstein, This Old Man.

She has started finding things very amusing and will laugh and giggle at things that strike her fancy. Something she sees, hears, etc.

Caroline is ticklish under her arms...I love to hold her and hear her belly laughs.

She still looks like her daddy. Every now and then she will flash an expression that people say looks like mommy...but for the most part- she's a daddy's girl! Maybe Emily will be a mini-mommy.

She thrives off of other people- she loves to interact with other babies, people, animals- anything! She is definitely displaying signs of being an extrovert! As long as she can watch or see other's in action, she is happy. She loves going to church nursery to play with the other kids and always makes friends quickly when we are out and about.

She still likes to put everything in her mouth!! We can't wait until that stage has come and gone...it's stressful worrying that she may eat any and everything! We pop the passy in when we are around things that she doesn't need to eat...but we don't want to have to keep it forever!

She loves bellybuttons and likes to peek at mommy and daddy's at any moment. She gives the biggest giggle at mine...of course a 30 week pregnant belly is pretty funny looking. Especially if you have seen mine. No, I will not post pictures of it. :)

She loves to play with hair! She still runs her fingers through my hair each time I lay her down for nap or bedtime. She is so soft and gentle for the most part...and I cherish the minutes that she lays, starring at me, patting me and rubbing my hair. So sweet. Sometimes she finds her own hair and will piddle with it for a bit.

She is still a red head!! All we hear when we are out and about is..."look at that red hair!! Where did it come from??" Grandma Smith...you are the answer! We have no other reds int he family. Thank you for that gene...I love it and hope she keeps it forever!

She loves to eat...what's new?? Caroline looks forward to every meal...and any meals in between if she can sneak some. She eats all table food, finger food, and will try just about anything. She is drinking whole milk like a big girl, and loves apple juice when she gets it. 1/2 water, 1/2 juice of course. :) She can sip out of a straw now- but I don't want her to start demanding my drinks when we are out and about, so I'm holding off on that skill for now! She tried Grandpa's coffee this week and didn't even flinch...YUCK! He drinks it black too!

Caroline loves bath time with her daddy. Brad gets home in the evening and looks forward to playing with her each night. They have a fun routine together and I stay out of the way and let them enjoy. She will lay down in the tub to rinse her hair, drink all the water up in the cups, and wants ALL her toys in the tub with her if possible. She loves to brush her teeth.

She goes to sleep at between 7-7:30 and wakes up at APPROXIMATELY 6:30 each morning- sometimes later, sometimes earlier. She sleeps with her passy, her blankie, a pink tiger daddy gave her, and hippity hop the bunny. When she wakes up she will hand you each item out of her crib almost like she is attempting to rescue them- give them a safe passage out of the crib. Then it's her turn. She is so sweet when she wakes up. Her hair is usually messy and a few sprigs will stick straight up in the back.

She doesn't love nap time- she has too much on her to do list for each day to just sleep! She will still "talk" herself to sleep for the most part. We are still taking 2 naps- one around 9:30 and then other around 2:30. I think she may be attempting to grow out of one of her naps, but it could be her silly teething that is messing us up...or the visitors....or any other excuse I can think of. It's always something....

She has more teeth than any other baby I know! She has at least 10...and I think we have discovered she is getting her molars...so 12?? I loves seeing her sweet smile and all her pearly whites inside her mouth. When she eats we will tell her to "chew it up" and she will chomp her teeth together- simply an act to pacify mom and dad I'm sure- but she goes through the motions. She will put every single piece of food on her tray into her mouth at the same time and get stuck if we don't try to slow her down. She is the fastest eater I have ever seen. Really, you have to see the girl in action.

She follows directions and minds us very well for the most part...until about 6:30 pm...then it's all over. She knows her off limits places- "we don't go into Isabelles room", "we don't get in the trash", and "we don't touch the Christmas tree". I try to make everything else very accessible so it's not a constant "no no no" situation. She knows that if I ask her if she wants a spank to back away from whatever she is doing. She is so smart...and follows our directions well. Hopefully this will last...but she also has her times of testing her limits and we will have our work cut out for us.

She is wearing size 12 month in clothes...some 18 months depending on what it is. She has big feet...wonder where she gets that?? She wears size 4 right now and I feel like they are growing everyday. She can keep a bow in her hair for a little while if she doesn't know it is there...once the word is out that she has a bow in, she finds it and pulls it out with a vengeance. Oh well. I'm not going to be a bow pusher...there are other things to worry about! But I do love seeing her in one. She has a sweet little curl at the back of her hair that curls on her neck. We are no where close to needing our first hair cut, but maybe sometime in the next year??

At her 12 month check up she was about 23lbs, 28 1/2 inches tall, and at the top of the charts for head circumference. :)

What else?? I could continue writing til she turns 2 probably...but I'll stop here. Hopefully this will be enough to remember how precious and sweet she is at this stage. My how fast each stage goes by...I am enjoying every second of it! I love being her mommy and I think I have the sweetest little one out there...I can't wait to have 2!!

It's been a long time!

Our best friends from Nashville came to visit us last week! This was their first of many visits to Little Rock and we were on cloud 9 the whole time they were here. I'm not sure their was a quiet moment the whole time we were together- 4 girls = lots of fun!! Kristina and Camden (oh and Bella the dog came too!!) got here on Tuesday afternoon and the fun began. We were able to play, play, play, talk, talk, talk, eat, eat, eat, and sleep- it was a perfect visit. Camden slept well in her "suite" and the girls played well together. They are at such a fun age where they can play alongside one another. The only disputes were over play cell phones and Caroline's vicious bear hugs...she likes to take you to the ground with her lovin! We even had a chance to have little Levi Rutledge come over for an evening. I guess we were attempting to get ourselves ready for how it will be when our new additions arrive. Kristina is 20 weeks pregnant and just found out that they are going to have a little man join their family the first week of May! He better watch out...Caroline or Emily may be after that guy before he can even notice! Which lead me to realize that Camden and Caroline COULD potentially be sisters one day...hahaha...you know how we like younger men!! :) It's fun to dream anyway! I loved having Kristina around and both of our preggo brains led to some fun conversations. I'm not sure Brad got a word in with our constant chit chat but he loved seeing us so happy. Kristina was kind enough to watch the little one's while Brad and I slipped out to his work Christmas party. She's an angel of a friend and I can't wait until our next visit. My sweet girls!
So Camden is our favorite person to watch eat a meal- she may not eat as MUCH as Caroline, but she sure spreads it well over her face. Caroline was able to get some tips...as you can see!

Rice is good for the complexion...especially rice that comes from a Japanese restaurant. We went to lunch and enjoyed our most favorite foods ever- Japanese steak house!!

Caroline LOVES dogs and she and Bella were hitting it off well just like old times.

We went to a fun place in Little Rock called The Wonder Place. It was amazing- and tons of fun for all of us! There are stations set up in a big huge building for the little ones to run around and explore. Our girls were booking it through this place so fast we were hard pressed to keep up with them! I think they had a blast and I can't wait to take Caroline back. We met up with one of our sweet friends, Natalie from our church. She has a daughter named Emery that played with us. I think she was probably in awe of the energy and excitement that Cam and Caroline exhibited!

Natalie explains the tube thingy to the girls- not sure Caroline is buying it...but they spent a lot of time watching the tube. :)

Water fun!! They liked this A LOT and got drenched!!

Peek a boo!! I got you!!

The ball pit was a hit

Morning play time in their jammies

Caroline meets the Wiggles for the first time- Cam is a Wiggle fanatic and she shared her Christmas DVD with us. Kristina also shared her musical talents by singing the Wiggles all week long. We loved it! PS- Look for the Wiggles next Halloween bc we decided our hubbies would be super HOT dressed as the Wiggles dancers..hahaha

Meal time...notice Bella's stance...ready for food flinging from either tray

Our sweet girls and their babydolls....soon to be REAL babies!

Caroline loving on sweet little Levi- He was a perfect angel while our friends Amber and Jonathan went to their other sons Christmas program.

Cooking with Elmo and Cookie in the kitchen

Baby Boy and Emily

Here is a belly picture from about 28 weeks. Little Emily is growing quickly!!

And now...more news on little Emily...

At my 28 weeks check up for baby Emily we had some news that sort of put a spin on day to day routines. I had a few contractions and a little bit of pain the weekend before my appt. and told the dr. about it. They checked me, ran some tests and came back with the good news that I was not in pre-term labor. However, I had a sit down, eye to eye conversation with my amazing OB doctor which basically boiled down to telling me to TAKE IT EASY!! My body seems to be a little over worked and tired from running after big sister Caroline everyday. We did not want to keep running my body so hard so that Baby Emily would have to make her debut early...SO we are attempting to keep me off my feet and resting as much as possible- partial bed rest I guess. This was NOT in our plan books for the Christmas season and I had so many plans and ideas of things I wanted to be doing in the next few months, but it seems they will all have to be put on hold while we work at protecting and growing sweet Baby #2.

I was extremely worried and upset when I first found this news out, but it's been amazing what your prayers, thoughts, and concern have done to ease my fears and I believe helped Caroline adjust to some changes in our daily routine. With Brad working at all times it's just me here with her all day. She is learning to play by herself a little more and is discovering some independent activities to keep her occupied. She has been such a little cuddle bug and I cherish the time when she is snuggled up with me in the lazy boy or on the couch. We can always count on Baby Einstein to give us a few minutes of stillness. :) And yes, I've seen the news reports about Baby Einstein...my little one is already a genius...I wasn't counting on puppets and music to truly enhance her mind. :) God had us in the palm of His hand when we found out this news because I had my hubby home all weekend, then only had 2 days on my own until my dad was able to come out here early to help. He is here now and has been a tremendous help. As I type this he and Caroline are at the mall enjoying a grandpa-granddaughter lunch date at Chick Fil A. He's hopefully enjoying it as much as I know she is!! It's been hard, I'm stubborn, and I want my normal life back...but I am instructed to act as an incubator right now, and that is what I will be.

My mom is flying out here to LR on Sunday to spend the week with us. Dad will pick her up from the Memphis airport- sling and all. Yes, sling...because she had a fall at school on Tuesday (the day dad left to come stay with me) and she broke her elbow!! Poor thing....I hate it for her! She was SO looking forward to the holidays...holding all her sweet grand babies, and this had to happen! Thankfully, it's her left arm so she can still use her right hand/arm. She is scheduled to have a pin put in on New Years Eve. Boo. Either way, we can't wait to see her!!

So that is our few weeks in a nutshell. We continue to covet your prayers and thoughts as we go through this Holiday season and the next few months to come. We have A LOT to do in order to get ready for Emily's arrival...and we don't want her to come any earlier than she needs to. We have loved getting all the Christmas cards...we miss you all like crazy and wish we were in GA where we could all see one another.

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!