4 Months

 It's hard to believe that sweet Caroline is 4 months already!  She is growing very quickly and we are loving every second with her!  She is truly a very happy baby and lets us know it by lots of smiles and she started laughing this month, too.  We had her 4 month doctor's visit this past week, so here are her measurements:
 Weight: 14lbs.10.5 oz (75%)
Length:  25.5 in. (90%)
 We started solids this past week.  She had started smacking her lips whenever she saw the rest of us eating and she was starting to wake up hungry at night, so I decided to give it a try.  

 Full belly!  She was really good at eating for the first time and she seems to be right back on track now with no more sleeping disruptions. 
She's taking 3 naps a day and  sometimes 1 really short nap in the evening (if she refuses to stay awake).  She's sleeping 11-12 hours at night--except for when we're traveling..ugghh.  That little stinker!
She can flip from her tummy to her back and sometimes from her back to her tummy.  Her favorite "toy" right now is her exersaucer and she is still easily entertained by her active brother.
Miss Caroline, we sure do LOVE you!!

Cousins

 Yesterday, Grandma, Aunt Kari, Noah, and Sophie came to play for the day.  The kids had so much fun together!!  These were the only pictures I got the whole day.  Probably because it was the only time they were sitting still!

We can't wait to see them again in a few weeks when we go to the beach!!

A Reunion

 On Friday, I took the kids to Columbia and we got to visit with 2 of my college roommates and their children.  We each have a 2 year old and a baby born this year, so there were 6 kids!!  Lara was very sweet to let us hang out at her house for the entire day.  Leslie drove from Virginia with her 2 year old and 2 month old--brave girl!  The 2 year olds actually did really well together--there were a few meltdowns, but nothing major.  We even all sat down and ate lunch together---and actually had conversations!! It was so nice to catch up!

Here are the 3 little ones.  They all took naps off and on so this was one of the times that they were all awake--and they were all happy!  Grayson did not take a nap while we were there, so he crashed about 1 minute after being in the car! Unfortunately, we didn't get a picture of the 3 of us girls.  It was such a great visit and we hope to make it happen often so that our children will remember each other. 

A Weekend with Mimi and Papa

 We took a trip to Clinton this weekend so that I could spend some time with my college friends all day on Friday (more on that later).
We walked to the  nearby Thornwell farm because Grayson always loves to see the animals.  Caroline got to go for the first time--Not too sure what she thought about the animals.

 We saw rabbits, horses, goats, a donkey, llamas, and a pig.  This is what Caroline looked like by the time we got back--I guess it was all too much for her.

 This must be the age that it takes very little to actually entertain.  Grayson sat on the window seat with his music and some empty containers and played very happily for most of the morning.

 In the meantime, Caroline decided to read some books...

 Grandmama and Daddymac came over for a visit.

It was a very nice, relaxing weekend.

This Week

 Grayson learned all about the jungle this week, which was very exciting for him because animals just happen to be his MOST favorite thing right now!

 I am still amazed at how long this tub of "stuff" will keep him busy!  This week I just dyed some rice green and put some of his small animals in it--it was a big hit!  I'll plan on doing a box each week based on the theme ( or maybe seasonal if I can't think of anything). 

 Grayson got to fingerpaint, which was a  new experience for him.  After a few minutes, he really got into it--he wasn't too sure at first.  He's not too crazy about getting "dirty"!

 And finally, he enjoyed his playdough as always. 

This was a pretty uneventful week for Caroline....still no teeth!  We're just loving the chuckles and smiles as they're so frequent lately.

A Glimpse

Just a little glimpse at what playtime looks like (and sounds like) for Caroline these days.  The doctor says she's teething--I still haven't seen any teeth yet!

Preschool

 Grayson completed his first week of preschool!  We were needing some structure in our mornings and he seemed very ready for "school", so I decided to start preschool with him.  I found a curriculum that I love and we're going with it. This is a 26 week curriculum, so it's almost a regular school year.  I've been so excited about it too because I just LOVE teaching this age!  He has such enthusiasm for learning and seems to learn things so quickly.  Every morning he would wake up and say, "school, mommy!"

 Except for this morning he woke up saying, "beans, mommy!"  It's amazing how excited he gets over beans in a tub.  

 This child is so happy as long as he is busy, so I'm trying my best to keep him busy!!

Our "school" boards

 After "school", we get to play with this little one! Isn't she precious?!?  She is starting to laugh and she smiles ALOT!!!

 And then THIS one stays busy for a LONG time with all of his animals.  He LOVES animals these days and constantly asks to go to the zoo!!

Happy Friday!

Playtime at Our House

Chad decided to clean the floors, so Grayson had to join him.

Don't you want to join us?

Nursery Update and a Master Bedroom Redo

 I finally hung (well, actually Chad did it for me) a chandelier in Caroline's room (we actually did this a few months ago, I'm just finally sharing).  I had wanted to hang one from the very start, but never did and just concluded that it wasn't really necessary.  However, I was just never satisfied with the plain, boring light hanging in her room.  So, I found this old chandelier on craigslist and gave it a pretty pink paint job.  I love it and the room seems so much more complete to me!!

 I don't think I ever shared this nook.  This shelf was one that my dad made for me when I was little.  It was always in my room growing up.  The night before I went into labor, I had a burst of energy and made the bulletin board.  Unfortunately I didn't measure, so the lines are a little off--I'll have to fix them later (what was I thinking?!?  I didn't even notice it until weeks later!).

While spending so much time and energy on both of the kids' rooms, our poor master bedroom was feeling neglected. Over the past few weeks, I have redecorated and I am loving it!  When my mom was here a few weeks ago, we made a trip to the Pottery Barn Outlet and I bought the duvet cover. 

 We hung wall lamps on either side of the bed and I repainted my jewelry cabinet.  Above the cabinet, I did some 3-D art, which I think turned out very pretty ( it was free!) .

Now we have a nice room (retreat) --it feels so much more inviting and refreshing!