The Hayes Family

Playing

2012-01-27T12:35:00.000-08:00

Mimi came for a few days this week. It is so nice when she is here because she is so great at PLAYING. The kids LOVE it!

I am pretty sure that they played with every single toy that we own over the span of 2 days.

Caroline has discovered the microwave. All those little buttons are too tempting when she's in the kitchen with mommy.

Grayson has discovered a love for puzzles. These 25 piece

puzzles keep him busy for a while.

It's been fun dressing Caroline in some of my old dresses. This particular dress was made by a sweet family friend and has gotten lots of wear. Not only did I wear it at this age, but I used to dress my baby dolls in it.

9 months

2012-01-19T18:02:00.000-08:00

Our sweet baby girl is now 9 months old.

She is pulling up on EVERYTHING. This results in many falls or objects falling on top of her.

Sad.

But, she's a pretty tough girl for the most part.

She loves to feed herself. But, unfortunately, the mess drives me crazy, so most of the time I just quickly feed her with a spoon.

She loves to wave and will often stop what she's doing, turn around and see who's looking. If she notices someone looking, she'll give them a quick wave and a smile. She also loves to laugh at herself or others--it's so very cute.

She is starting to crawl on all fours now rather than the army crawl that she's used for the past 3 months. She can get around much faster.

She even tries to stand every now and then, but she hasn't quite figured that out yet.

She has added some new words/sounds. She's now saying "dada", "mama", and "baba". She gets real excited to see Dakota or hear her barking and she says, "D..d..d"--as she looks around for her.

And my favorite new trick is her dancing. If she hears music, she does the head bob and looks around to make sure people are watching her.

She's such a sweet girl with lots of personality.

9 month stats :

16 lb.5.2 oz

29 in. long

nurses 4 times a day along with 3 meals a day

2 naps a day (1.5 hrs each)

sleeps 11-12 hours at night

A Weekend Visit

2012-01-18T11:44:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, the kids and I drove to Clinton to visit with Mimi and Papa. On Saturday, we headed to Columbia to spend the day with my college roommates. It was so much fun catching up and seeing how much the kids have grown!

Caroline didn't make it into the group picture because she was taking a nap. It was nearly impossible to coordinate a picture with everyone---with all of the napping, feeding, etc. We were so happy for Stephanie to join us this time--she is expecting twins in July!! Yay--2 more to add to the group!!

Benson was also there for the day and was a great help with the older kids as he watched them play outside in the freezing cold while us ladies stayed inside with a somewhat quiet house.

Back in Clinton, the kids got to spend some time with Daddymac and Grandmama...

and one of Grayson's most favorite spots.....papa's lap...

New Moves

2012-01-05T19:00:00.000-08:00

Caroline's newest trick--pulling up on everything.

Checking out her new toy baskets....

She is a pro at the sippy cup. I am amazed at how easily she chugs water-she LOVES it.

Grayson has some new moves too. He's getting really good at shooting his new basketball.

Once again, she stands...

She is now able to ride in the car all by herself. Grayson is kind enough to give her a push every now and then.

These 2 continue to keep me plenty busy!

Our Christmas with Family

2012-01-01T09:10:00.000-08:00

Once again, we did a lot of driving this Christmas and we got to spend a lot of precious time with family. We started out visiting with Grandmother and Granddaddy in Covington, Ga.

Grayson is very camera shy this year--you'll notice in many of the photos.

Then, we headed to the beach to stay with Chad's family for a few days.

I didn't even get a picture of all of the cousins together, which probably would have been nearly impossible anyways. We were hoping the newest cousin would arrive while we were there, but she hasn't made an appearance yet--she's due any day now!

Grayson's unusual sleeping habits--we never know how we'll find him--this time he decided to play with grandma's bread stash before drifting off to sleep.

Our next (and last) stop was the Trammell family Christmas. The girls were happy to be reunited.

And our greatest gift of all this year was gaining a new sister!! Andrew and Sarah will be married sometime this summer!! We're all so excited--we just love her!

Finally...we arrived back home. Santa made a special trip to our house a few days after Christmas.

What a fun year with these 2 little ones and all of our GROWING family!!

Merry Christmas

2011-12-22T19:05:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas!

From our Family...

To Yours!

"He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end." Luke 1:32-33

A New Trick

2011-12-20T08:00:00.000-08:00

Over the past few days Caroline has figured out how to pull up to her feet.

The scene about 5 seconds after taking this picture was not pretty. She face-planted into the floor. Live and learn, right?

And I am just loving the imagination at this age....

It's so interesting to see what's going on in our nativity scene each day.

Our Visit with Santa

2011-12-18T18:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend we bundled up and headed to the square to visit with Santa.

Caroline enjoyed her dinner. while we waited. for an hour and a half....

still waiting...

thankfully there were several children's choirs singing on stage

grayson loved watching

and then it was our turn.....

both kids did really well!

no tears!

and all Grayson asked for was a ball!

I think Santa can handle that!

Fun with Mimi

2011-12-18T18:02:00.000-08:00

Last week Mimi came to stay for a few days so that I could do some last minute shopping. This is a season in my life where it is easier to just stay home during the day. I don't even try to run my errands and do grocery shopping with the kids in tow. I just prefer to save myself from stress and frustration. We get out only twice a week to visit the library and to have playgroup. The other days we hang out at home or try to plan play dates with neighborhood friends so that we don't have to get in the car to go anywhere.

As a result, I spend many nights and weekends back and forth in the car just to get things done. My sweet husband is very patient with me.

Now, all of this to say...having Mimi here was so nice! I was able to get so much done. She played with the kids while I did all of my running around! Caroline's teeth decided to pop through while she was here, so our night time was not so peaceful. Sorry Mimi!! She doesn't normally wake up at 5am crying, but oh well, such is the life with a baby!

Christmas Happenings

2011-12-15T11:14:00.000-08:00

We have been counting down with our Advent Calendar. What a fun year!! These are just a few of the things we've been up to....

making cookies..... (and eating lots of dough!)

learning about the legend of the candy cane....

Christmas lights at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens....

they were AMAZING....

lots of partying....

riding on a horse-drawn carriage at our Neighborhood Christmas Party....

playing with friends at Christmas parties...

and some guitar playin' and dancin'...

10 more days to go!!! What a fun time of year to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Saviour--

Jesus Christ!

8 Months

2011-12-14T10:50:00.000-08:00

Caroline is now 8 months old and is becoming very ACTIVE. She has been army crawling all over the floor for the past month, so now she is starting to get on her knees.

She still prefers the army crawl because she gets arounds just fine. However, she has started to realize that she can pull up on things and sit on her knees. In her bath last night, she actually pulled up to her feet! So...the fun begins!

She also started saying "dada". It's more of a sound rather than an association but it sure does make her daddy feel proud. So we'll just tickle his fancy and say that her first word was "dada"! It's so much fun to finally hear her little talking voice!!

She also got her 2 bottom teeth--just this week! Finally!! Between teething, colds, and an ear infection, her night time sleep has been a little interrupted these past few months! I'll be glad when this winter season is behind us! HAPPY 8 MONTHS BABY GIRL! Oh and by the way, could you please slow down a little?!? You're growing up WAY too fast!

Making Progress

2011-12-05T08:27:00.000-08:00

Christmas decorating definitely took a little longer this year, but it is finally done. It seemed that as I hung one ornament on the tree, 2 or 3 were coming off!!

We also started our advent calendar ON TIME! I finished putting it all together on November 30!! I have GOT to get a head start on this next year! (I'm pretty sure I said that last year)

Grayson has had so much fun opening a new door each day to see what activity we'll be doing.
Yesterday, we made a gingerbread train. The ONLY part he was interested in was eating the candy!

But in the end, he was very proud of his creation. And he still can't keep his hands off of it!
Tonight he will be taking a warm bath with his new gingerbread soap! It's funny how the simplest things can make a child SO excited!

We also started our Jesse Tree readings each night. Grayson looks forward to hanging a new ornament on his tree and then we sing Christmas hymns. It is so important to us that Grayson understands the true meaning of Christmas, so we have been stressing these truths daily.

Santa Is Here!

2011-12-03T18:47:00.000-08:00

Santa came into town on Thursday night, so we were there for all the festivities. There were lots of children's choirs singing throughout the night, which Grayson really enjoyed.

It was so fun to watch the expressions on Grayson's face this year as he saw Santa arrive.

Want to see the grand entrance for yourself?!?

Watch Santa arrive at the Marietta Square!!

We will be back to sit in Santa's lap at some point. We didn't want to wait in the 2 hour line. I'm anxious to see how Grayson does this year.

It has definitely been a challenge trying to decorate the house--with a crawling 8 month old and a curious 2.5 year old.

but we are making progress.

Priceless!

2011-11-30T13:17:00.000-08:00

I had to share this!

Grayson's LOVE of music + a former music teacher (aka. MIMI) = a Thanksgiving with rhythm sticks and jingle bells!!

(Yes! Uncle Andrew is ALWAYS that crazy!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHKapX-EA3A

I LOVE the looks on Abby Ruth's and Caroline's faces!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aS8datXNvIQ

Our Family Thanksgiving

2011-11-27T11:25:00.000-08:00

We spent Thanksgiving this year in Clinton with the Trammell family.

Daddy and Grayson are ready to be outside for the campfire!

Caroline was recovering from an ear infection but she seemed to be feeling much better for most of the visit.

It's funny how Abby Ruth and Caroline seem to enjoy the same toys! Thankfully we had 2 little pans.

Mimi pulled out the rhythm sticks for Grayson's enjoyment and the whole family joined in. It was quite humorous to see everyone tapping their sticks to the music. Grayson LOVED it!

Singing with Uncle Andrew.. (still in their pajamas)

Grayson got to spend some time with Grandmama and Daddymac--he loves it when they bring treats!

This is during one of Grayson's naps. We walked in and found him like this..

apparently he had been having some fun with Papa's antique tools--I think this was some kind of old rake or something.

Just because we never have pictures of us:

Uncle Andrew came home with us and stayed a night before he had to drive back to Nashville. Grayson LOVED this special time with him. They played and read lots of books.

It was such a nice, relaxing few days with family.

We have so much to be thankful for!

A Pre-Thanksgiving Visit

2011-11-21T18:29:00.000-08:00

Last week we were so excited to have Mimi, Aunt Bonnie, and Abby Ruth come to stay with us for a few days. Grayson got to spend some time outside since the weather was so nice.

The girls hung out inside and were just so cute sitting together. This was the first time they've been together since they've been sitting up on their own.

Grayson had the great idea of playing with his instruments together, but for some reason, I don't think this is quite what he had in mind...

Mimi and the girls...

What a fun couple of days! Mimi was such a great babysitter while Bonnie and I scooted out around feedings to shop.

We can't wait to be together again for Thanksgiving!

7 Months

2011-11-16T15:23:00.000-08:00

Somebody is 7 months old!

She is a LOVER of her BIG brother.

Seriously, what is there not to love about this?

She is sitting up really well now on her own. If she falls down, she considers it no big deal and just carries on about her business.

She's a scooter! She's pushing with her toes and pulling with her arms. She's just starting to use her knees every now and then. So I'm afraid crawling is in our very near future. She often gets herself in situations like this...

She's an EXCELLENT eater--eating pretty much anything I put in her mouth. And even some things she succeeds in getting into her mouth.

She's a mommy's girl for now--and likes to keep her eyes GLUED to mommy if others are around. Her favorite game right now is peek-a-boo.

She's a sweetie and definitely a keeper!

Fall

2011-11-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

In an effort to kick off the Fall season, we did some leaf-raking...

and some leaf-jumping...

We also had our neighborhood arts festival this weekend. Grayson got to help out the night before by drawing on the streets with chalk.

We gathered some of the little ones together to try to get somewhat of a group picture. This was the best we got.....

Caroline was not happy about lying down...

There has been quite an explosion of babies in our neighborhood this past year. We are so blessed to have such amazing neighbors!! Our kids will have so much fun growing up together!! Here's a few of us mommies and babies:

And Grayson enjoyed being with some of the neighborhood boys--digging for dinosaur bones!

I hope the weather continues to stay nice for a bit longer so we can enjoy this Fall season!!

Sick

2011-11-10T18:10:00.000-08:00

If there is one word to describe our past few weeks it would have to be

SICK.

Yep, first Grayson and Caroline, then Chad (and Grayson), then me (and Grayson). Poor Grayson got hit the worst and still has a lingering cold. Funny thing is, we were all FINE until my kiddos got the flu shot. I have already decided we will do without the vaccine next year.

The lingering sickness did not keep us from making cookies....

and more cookies...

cookies just seem to make everyone feel better, right?

reading LOTS of books...in our pajamas....

taking full advantage of any shimmer of sunlight so as to soak in all the Vitamin D we can get...

and lots of WARM baths.

And Chad and I have had our fair share of NyQuil the past few nights.

Hoping to get this COLD OUT OF OUR HOUSE!!

An Overnight Guest

2011-11-05T18:56:00.000-07:00

Grayson had his first "spend-the-night" friend last weekend. Leigh came to stay while her parents went to a late night football game. They played so well together and kept each other very busy.

Bathtime! And bedtime stories...

Caroline also loved having Leigh around for a few days. Leigh was such a little "mother". Caroline would just stare at her and smile-it was so sweet.

A Halloween Weekend

2011-11-02T11:32:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Papa came to celebrate with us this past weekend. We had a little monkey with a really bad cold, but he hung in there. Sunday night we went to the Reformation Celebration at our church. Grayson was excited to win a bag of cookies on the cake walk!

Monday morning, Mimi and Papa insisted on taking Grayson to the zoo, so we loaded up. It was a beautiful day and we pretty much had the zoo all to ourselves.

Grayson still loves the gorillas and monkeys so he had to have his picture taken with the famous Willy B.


making monkey faces with Papa

We got home just in time for the kids to take a quick nap before the Halloween festivities began. They weren't too excited about it.

We went to a neighborhood party for dinner and then did some trick -or- treating. This was Grayson's first time and he caught on pretty quickly. It was priceless to see his face as the neighbors put candy in his bucket. He thought it was the greatest thing ever!
He was so happy to get home and empty out his pumpkin.

Our sweet little ladybug even joined in on all the fun.

Tuesday morning Papa and Grayson carved a jack-o-lantern. Better late than never, right?

We had so much fun and we're still trying to recover from exhaustion of all the activities and 2 sick babies. Hopefully we'll all be over our colds soon!

Oh yeah! Look who's sitting up all by herself?!?

6 months

2011-10-26T18:13:00.000-07:00

I LOVE this girl! She is scooting around all over the place. By scooting, I mean with her elbows and her toes--no knees yet! I guess you can call it an "army crawl." But she definitely gets around and seems pretty content with this method of movement.

She absolutely ADORES her big brother. She never fails to smile as soon as she lays eyes on him! It is the. sweetest. thing.
No teeth yet! I am so ready for those things to break through. Her poor gums are so swollen--I keep thinking it will be any day now (but I was thinking that 2 months ago!).
She is definitely a "mommy's girl." When I leave her with her daddy, she curls her lip under and cries a really pitiful cry--breaks my heart. She doesn't like to take a bottle, but she will take one--but only from mommy! (Really? Doesn't that defeat the purpose?!?) She's a little stinker.

I'll give you a sneak peek of what she's going to be for Halloween:

Grandma came for a visit last weekend and brought this little outfit. Precious.
Here are her stats from the doc:
Weight: 15 lb. 10.6 oz. (45%)
Length: 27.5 inches (95 %)
She is still taking 3 naps a day and sleeping 12-13 hours at night. She is a really good eater--3 meals a day with an extra feeding at night.
Please slow down, sweet girl, you're growing up too fast!!

No Words

2011-10-25T15:27:00.000-07:00

A Birthday Weekend

2011-10-19T18:18:00.000-07:00

Last weekend we traveled to Clinton to celebrate Grandmama and Daddymac's birthdays. They conveniently have birthdays a few days apart so it's a nice excuse for everyone to get together. There is hardly a dull moment since the 2 girls have joined us and Grayson is always so eager to entertain.

Caroline was very fascinated with Abby Ruth's hairbow. And Grayson, well, he was just being Grayson....

Caroline succeeded in ripping off AR's hairbow, so AR didn't seem to mind trading it for Sophie the Giraffe

Content.

Grayson entertained us with his version of "The Lonely Goatherd" using Mimi and Papa's antique puppet.

This is what Caroline looks like after Mimi attempts to feed her dinner. I assure you that it is no easy task!

Grayson and AR watching the train--still one of Grayson's favorite activities at Mimi and Papa's.

Grayson still lets Grandmama hold him--she is such a great playmate!

Caroline had her first ride in the beloved swing. She was a little confused but seemed to enjoy it.

Caroline with the birthday girl.

After dinner, Grayson was having some playtime with AR--I'm sure she was probably captivated by all of his activity.

Grayson was so incredibly tired in these pictures. He was literally asleep within a few minutes of getting in the car to head home.

Happy Birthday, Daddymac and Grandmama!! Thanks for such a fun weekend!

A New Toy

2011-10-13T10:37:00.000-07:00

Since this child loves to put ANYTHING and EVERYTHING in her mouth...
And she finds a way to get it even if it's out of her reach...

She got a new toy.

Thank you, Sophie the Giraffe, for making my life just a little easier.

Happy 1/2 birthday, my sweet girl!!

Lazy Weekend

2011-10-05T10:22:00.000-07:00

There is hardly a "lazy" weekend around here. However, we didn't have anywhere to go, so we just enjoyed being home and getting some things done. My Saturdays typically consists of running all the errands that I didn't get to do during the week (grocery shopping, etc.)--between feedings--so I'm mostly in and out. At the times when I'm home, Chad hurries outside to work on some of his ongoing projects--working in the yard, painting furniture (for me--he's so sweet to do that!), or whatever he feels like working on. It's pretty much tag-team the whole day. We did slow down to watch the Clemson game with some friends. And although I hardly got to watch it, as I was tending to the kiddos, it was so nice to hang out with friends together as a family.

And here are some Sunday morning pics. Sundays are usually a little more laid back. We try to get some rest after church and just enjoy the kids.

Grayson is super fun right now!! We can actually have a conversation with him and it is so precious. He makes us laugh so much!!! And Caroline is just in awe of his every move.

Playgroup at our House

2011-10-03T17:11:00.000-07:00

We are so blessed to be a part of a church where there is an ever-growing number of families our age. All of us stay-at-home mommies get together every Wednesday for one big playdate. We take turns at each others' house, so this past week we were hosting! I've always been too busy to take any pictures, but this time I was determined to snap some pics so that I could show Chad what it looked like. So I thought I'd share on here as well.

There are about 15 of us ladies (and I'm sure that number is wrong because this number is always growing!) and about 26 kids (again, this is an estimate). So whenever we all show up, it is quite a crowd! This past Wednesday there were only 9 mommies and their kids, so a little bit smaller of a group. However, it was still pretty crazy with kids and toys scattered everywhere.

It is so great for Grayson to have practice sharing all of his toys. This is something we're really working on right now--sharing and keeping his hands to himself.

We LOVE it when our friends are here and all these toys get some good use!! We look forward to our playgroup each week and we're so thankful to the Lord for all of our friends!!

Tummy Time

2011-09-30T18:47:00.000-07:00

This little girl LOVES lying on her tummy. She is either one of 2 places these days--either on the floor rolling around on a blanket or jumping around in her exersaucer.

Grayson loves to give her crawling lessons. This scares me just a little--don't want her to start too soon.

Grandmother Ruth made Caroline this amazing quilt. The kids LOVE it! Grayson enjoys reading all of his books to Caroline---it is so much fun to watch the 2 of them together. Caroline smiles and giggles when her big brother is around.

I love this!! This is what I see now when I go in her room to get her up from her naps--she's getting so big!

A Surprise Visit

2011-09-29T10:33:00.000-07:00

Andrew called me on Sunday night to let me know that he and his girlfriend, Sarah, would be in town and would be stopping by on Monday. What a nice surprise! Grayson looked forward to his visit from Uncle Andrew ALL DAY! They finally made it for dinner and got to hang out for a few hours with the kids.

Grayson enjoyed every. single. second.

And Caroline was happy too, showing off some of her new tricks.

Apple Pickin'

2011-09-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

This weekend we decided to go to Ellijay and pick some apples.

Grayson had so much fun picking the apples off of the trees and putting them in our bag.

We also took a tractor ride around the farm to see all of the apple trees and the other fruits and veggies that they're growing. We finished off our visit with some yummy apple cider and a delicious peach slushie! I'm sure we'll be back in a few weeks to get some Fuji apples--they weren't ready for picking yet.

A Birthday Bash

2011-09-26T18:06:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, the Hayes' family came to visit us. It was Sophie's birthday, so we had brownies to celebrate.

Watching the daddys work in the backyard

The main reason for our getting together was to celebrate Grandmother Ruth's 85th birthday! So on Saturday we loaded up and headed to Covington for the evening. All of the family was there so it was a really great time to visit, catch up, and get some family photos!

This is Grayson's "smiley" face. It was kind of humorous but at least he was looking at the camera--this is progress. He's never been one to like getting his picture taken.

All of the Hayes' family

All of the great-grands

Caroline got some one-on-one time with the birthday girl!!

The whole clan! Everyone was there!

The kids really enjoyed the extra time with each other.

Second Stop-A Visit with the Hayes'

2011-09-16T10:25:00.000-07:00

On our way home from Pawley's, we stopped at Chad's parent's house to spend some time with them for a few days. Grayson got to visit the beach one more time. We were just planning on a little (dry) walk on the beach to pick up shells, but of course he went straight for the water--oh well...

He did some swimming with the cousins.

And lots of playing...

it's nearly impossible to get them all to sit still for a picture.

We're so excited to welcome a new cousin on that side of the family in January!! Aunt Kari is having another baby girl!! Thanks Grandma and Pops for an awesome visit and for taking such good care of Dakota while we were at Pawley's!!

Pawley's Island 2011

2011-09-14T18:10:00.000-07:00

Last week we enjoyed an amazing summer vacation at Pawley's with the entire Trammell family. We did exactly what we enjoy doing the most at Pawleys--relaxed on the beach and had no plans for the day. Grayson loved the water, the sand, everything--and he got lots of time with Mimi and Papa. The girls did great on the beach--napping and just hanging out. I'll let the pictures do the rest of the talking....

Thanks, Mimi and Papa, for such a relaxing, much-needed vacation!!! It was fabulous--already looking forward to next summer!!!

Love.

2011-09-02T06:06:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I found this.

It melted my heart.

4 Months

2011-08-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-24T13:09:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-22T18:27:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-22T09:42:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-18T13:47:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-15T11:19:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-12T08:36:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-11T09:41:00.000-07:00

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

2011-08-08T18:43:00.000-07:00

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!

A New Favorite

2011-08-02T18:17:00.000-07:00

I pulled out the Exersaucer last week for Caroline. She loves it!! She will happily play here for 30 minutes or more, spinning around and around. Grayson was sure to tell her what each of the toys were for and he gave her a very noisy demonstration--poor Caroline.

She actually seems to really enjoy all of Grayson's "activity". I promise you, she is NEVER bored--neither am I! Oh yeah, I guess you've noticed Grayson's new preference for clothing...and why do I spend money on clothes for the summer?!?

Family Time

2011-07-27T13:32:00.000-07:00

Mimi and Papa came for a visit last weekend. Grayson was able to show off his new potty skills.
Thankfully Mimi stayed for the rest of the week--Grayson started having some issues with poopies on the potty, but we're working on it and making progress.
Chad and I headed to Clinton the following weekend to take Mimi back and to hang out with the rest of the family. We were able to stay until Tuesday because Chad had some work to do in Columbia. So it was a nice, long, relaxing(well, sometimes) visit.

We got to spend lots of time with Grandmama and Daddymac.

Grayson did alot of his favorite things: singing and dancing! He has an obsession with The Sound of Music right now and loves for Mimi to play the songs while he sings and dances along.

A very exciting part of the weekend, was that we got to visit with Abby Ruth!

Of course the girls had coordinating outfits for each day.

so sweet--holding hands

Another exciting part of the weekend was that Uncle Andrew was there too!! This trip was his first time meeting Caroline and she seemed to love him right away.

matching onesies that Bonnie and I made--we were hoping they would wear them to the beach in September, but it's not looking like they are going to fit!!

Ready for church!

Grayson did alot of swimming to stay cool, while Caroline watched.

We really enjoyed our visit with the whole family and can't wait to be back together again in September--at Pawley's Island!!

We Did It!!

2011-07-14T06:44:00.000-07:00

Guess what we've been doing for the past 3 days? Yep, potty training!! I have been procrastinating this dreaded milestone, but I decided to conquer it this week when we ran out of diapers for Grayson. My friend had recommended that I do this method. It's Potty Training in 3 days! So that means that I can do absolutely nothing but focus on Grayson for 3 days--no laundry, no cooking, no cleaning, no leaving the house--nothing!! So we put off all of our playdates and outings for the week and started our "potty training boot camp" as Chad calls it. So...
Day 1:

11 accidents!! I was getting a little frustrated, but since I'm so stubborn, I was determined to make this work! By the evening, Grayson had done 3 peepees in the potty!!! Progress! He even stayed dry during his afternoon nap and at night.

Day 2:

Only 3 accidents all day!! Much improved!

Sweet Caroline! She really made this process much easier because she was soooo gooooood!! She just hung out while mommy had to tend to Grayson.

No accidents at night, either!! yay!

The word of the week to describe Caroline: patient!! This is often how she looked--half undone!! Whether it was a halfway diaper change, halfway dressed, halfway fed, she didn't seem to mind. She just patiently waited for me to return.

Day 3:

BIG BOY!!

No accidents!! None!! I actually couldn't believe it!! He was telling me every time he needed to potty. He even did his first poopy in the potty!! He is also not having any accidents during his sleep! By the end of day 3, he was begging to go outside, so we both stepped out for some fresh air for the FIRST time all week!!

I do believe this was one of the L O N G E S T weeks of my life. However, it was very successful and I highly recommend the method. I am an all-or-nothing kind of girl, so it worked well for me. No more diapers--daytime, nighttime--DONE! Now, I 'm sure we'll have some accidents here or there but we're not turning back! I didn't want to drag this potty training thing out for weeks and weeks--I've heard horror stories that terrified me! So I'm happy to say that we've made HUGE progress and everyone is happier!!

Now I need a vacation!!

Play Dates

2011-07-10T17:22:00.000-07:00

Since our lives now involve a baby and a toddler we try to stay home as much as possible--it's just so much easier. We fill our days with playdates! There are so many children in our neighborhood right now. In the past 3 months, there have been 5 babies born and there will be about 5 more before the end of the year!! So we have lots of friends closeby. This is one of Caroline's new friends--they are 3 weeks apart. I made these matching outfits for several of the baby girls in the 'hood.

Grayson had to join in on the fun!

This is one of our neighbors that recently moved. He's a few years older than Grayson, but they didn't seem to mind the difference. They had a great time together--it was so funny listening to their "conversations".

We sure do miss Holden!!

Cow Appreciation

2011-07-09T08:29:00.000-07:00

Some of my friends came over on Friday for us to have a sewing day. They brought their kids along with them. They had already been to Chick Fil A for their free breakfast. They brought some extra cow spots for Grayson, so I got him ready for our trip to CFA for lunch.

Caroline and Grayson all dressed up waiting on daddy to get home.

Grayson loved the cows! He was a little shy at first but couldn't take his eyes off of them and kept saying, "hi cows". Before we left, he was chasing them around the store and hugging them, saying "big nice cow".

This blanket Chad's mom made us last Christmas was perfect!!

Happy Cow Day!!

4th of July

2011-07-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

We celebrated the 4th on Sunday with some friends from church. Grayson finally got to go swimming for the first time this summer and he seemed to enjoy it and did really well.

Caroline was looking so cute in her patriotic swimsuit.

Grayson was eating a popsicle while we waited on the firework show. This was his first time seeing fireworks and he wasn't a big fan. He kept saying they were loud, however I think he enjoyed the colors and watching them. We'll have to try again next year.

On Monday, we walked down to the square for the parade. Grayson enjoyed it except for the extreme heat--so we didn't last for the whole parade.

The kids were glad to be back home in the air conditioning.

Ready for church on Sunday--I love the matching boats!!

Life with a 2 Year Old

2011-07-03T13:15:00.000-07:00

Yesterday while I was fixing dinner, I caught Grayson "feeding" Bear Bear. He looked at me when I was taking his picture, but he just carried on as if it was a normal part of his day.

Then, he let me know that "elmo rides a horse, mommy!"

And finally, he was pushing the stroller around the house saying, "vegables take a walk, mommy".

There is never a dull moment these days!!

A visit with the Grands and Great-Grands

2011-06-29T05:59:00.000-07:00

Chad's parents were here for lunch on Saturday, so we enjoyed our time with them. After lunch, we all headed to Covington to visit with Great-grandmother Ruth and Great-granddaddy Max. Caroline finallly got to meet her sweet great-grandparents!

Grayson really enjoyed his visit and was pretty much the center of attention! As soon as we got to their house, he was asking for "grandmama ruth" and "granddaddy"--it was very sweet. He even got a much needed big boy haircut while we were there. Amazingly, he sat pretty still this time (for about 5 minutes), then we had to bribe him with icecream so grandma could finish it up!!

Waiting for Grandma and Pops

2011-06-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, Chad's parents came over for lunch. We had the kids all cleaned up, so they were playing while we were waiting for them to get here. It was so cute--Grayson was serving Caroline a meal!

And she was so happy just to sit and play along with him.

I couldn't resist posting these pics of Caroline---I just want to squeeze those chubby cheeks and thighs!!

A Day at the Zoo

2011-06-26T13:10:00.000-07:00

Friday morning we packed up and headed to the zoo for the day. We had been talking about the zoo and all of the animals for the past few weeks so it was really fun to see it become a reality for Grayson. He LOVED it!! As soon as we got there, he started asking for the "onkeys".

Caroline was a trooper and hung in there with us. She stayed awake for half the time and she slept half the time.

Grayson loved riding the carousel. He thought it was so funny to smile at daddy each time we went around.

Then he got to ride the train with daddy, which he also LOVED. He was saying, "okay, here we go. whoo! whoo! bye mommy!!".

The playground was also a big hit!

His feet look extremely large in this picture for some reason!

Needless to say, by the time we got in the car, he was pooped. So this is what he looked like within 5 minutes. We had such a fun time and can't wait to go back when Caroline can enjoy it too!!

Around Here

2011-06-23T09:07:00.000-07:00

Grayson has been lots of help with Caroline lately. One of his new favorite things to do is to help give her a bath. As he bathes her, he sings her a little song---it's really precious.
Caroline doesn't seem to mind the extra hands--although she does get a little worried look on her face sometimes and looks around for me to make sure I'm still there.

We noticed that every time Grayson asked to hold Caroline, he was pulling up his shirt. We asked him what he was doing and he replied, "sissy eat". So apparently he is trying to feed her--so funny! Once again, sissy sometimes looks a little worried, but if she can see mommy, she doesn't mind too much.

Caroline's first art lesson. Grayson was telling her all about circles and eyes and hair. Then he shared all of his small toys with her--being sure to explain to her that "crackers(ie. cookie monster) eats cookies" and "elmo has ball". It is so fun to watch him try to play with her.

So while they were doing that, I was doing this...

Zucchini bread! I found a way to use up some of our zucchini--and it was delicious!! I'm sure there will be more of this in our future-it was a hit!

Caroline is always exhausted after a few minutes of play with her big brother!

Happy Daddy's Day!!

2011-06-20T10:05:00.000-07:00

Our chances of getting some good family photos are just rare these days. It is almost impossible to get everyone looking at the camera at the same time---and it's even more impossible to get Grayson to be still!! So here are a few of the pictures that we captured on this lovely Father's Day.

Lovely! Thanks, Caroline!

Happy Daddy's Day to an amazing father, husband, and friend!!

Our Little Gardener

2011-06-18T12:05:00.000-07:00

This is our very small garden. Chad and my dad got busy tilling the soil as soon as we came home from the hospital with Caroline--yes the same day, probably within an hour. (It's amazing how things are so different with the second baby!) After preparing the soil, they headed out to buy some plants. We started out with one tomato plant, three squash, and one zucchini plant. We've tried having a garden in years past, and we've never had any success because of all the shade. So my dad suggested a garden right in our front yard. So, yep, that's where it is... right beside our front walkway. And it has been very successful! Well, not really the tomato plant, but the squash and zucchini have done extremely well. Our refrigerator is stocked daily and we've even had to give some away because it's been more than we can eat! Chad is loving tending to the garden, of course, but Grayson has also enjoyed being with his daddy outside. He loves to tell people that his "daddy growing kinni."

This was our very first zucchini. It was there when we got home from vacation and it was rather large, but still delicious. We've been eating them sauteed, grilled, and in casseroles. I'm trying to get creative with ways to eat our abundance of veggies.

2 months

2011-06-14T11:52:00.000-07:00

It's crazy to think that Caroline is already 2 months old! It makes me sad to think how quickly this time is flying by!! She is such a good baby and we are really enjoying every second!!

Here she is showing off her bandaids from the doctor's visit. A shot in each chubby thigh!! Grayson was very sweet and made sure to kiss her "boo boos" when she got home. He's just a little obsessed with "boo boos" lately--and I think he was glad that it was her rather than him (and so are we!!)!

Grayson always asks to hold his sissy. He especially thinks it's fun to wipe her face when she spits up. When he's all done holding her, he lets me know that "sissy wants to go night night".

Here is the 2 month update on Caroline:
She weighed 11lb. 12.5 oz. --up to the 88th percentile! quite a jump from her 1 month visit!
Length-- 23.25 in. --94th percentile- very tall!
She is happy pretty much all the time unless it's time to eat or sleep. She's smiling and cooing ALOT! She LOVES diaper changes. She's sleeping 6-7 hours at night and taking about 6 naps a day--1 to 1 1/2 hours long.
She is such a blessing to our family!!

Happy Reunion

2011-06-12T14:16:00.000-07:00

We were happy to have Grayson back home with us this past week. I think he's missing all of the extra attention from Mimi and Papa, but he's adjusting.

He thinks it's so funny that his sissy has a pink bear bear just like his!!

This is going to have to be one tough girl--she's already had to put up with lots of hugs and kisses that aren't exactly tender and sweet. Grayson loves his sissy!!

Another Clinton Visit

2011-06-06T14:10:00.000-07:00

We stopped in Clinton on our way to the beach and our way home from the beach. It is exactly halfway between Atlanta and the beach, so it makes the perfect resting spot..and the perfect place to fill up our tummies with yummy cooking from Mimi!! We got to visit with Mimi, Papa, Grandmama,and Daddymac.

On one of the stops, William and Bonnie joined us for dinner, so Caroline and Abby Ruth got to hang out for a little while. It's so fun to see how they've changed and how they have already grown!! They had so much fun laying on this blanket together.

On our way back home, we left Grayson in Clinton with Mimi and Papa for a few days. We missed him so much but it was so nice to have some time to get settled back at home and to get my house all cleaned up!!! I think Caroline loved her special time with mommy and daddy!!

Spending Time with Family

2011-06-04T16:13:00.000-07:00

Grayson and Caroline got to spend lots of time with Grandma and Pops while we were at the beach. We also had fun hanging out with Uncle Ryan, Aunt Kari, Noah, and Sophie.

One morning we went to pick strawberries.
And then we went to see some farm animals.

We're looking forward to another visit in September!!

Beach Days

2011-06-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

We spent this past week visiting Chad's family. We were able to take our little family out to the beach a few days. Grayson loved playing in the sand with daddy.

Caroline mostly slept while we were there. We didn't take an umbrella, so the only shade she had was from the beach chair. It was extremely hot so we couldn't stay out too long.

Grayson was very interested in the water at first..

but as soon as he felt how cold it was, he ran away from it. He kept saying "no water no water". Oh well, we'll try again when we head to the beach in September.

This Past Week

2011-05-22T18:16:00.000-07:00

We had really cold weather here in GA so I had to bundle Caroline up in this cute bunny jacket for our walk.

Grayson is so much fun lately! He's talking alot and learning new words everyday!! We're loving him!!

Ready for church--somehow we manage to get these kids dressed and ready and we're out the door by 7:45 for the early service.

I love this pink dress. I'm sad that she's outgrowing it so quickly. She's even wearing her pretty bracelet--thanks Les!!

One Month

2011-05-16T10:52:00.000-07:00

This sweet dress was one of mine when I was a baby.

Caroline is now 1 month old. She is such a sweet, happy baby and we couldn't be more thankful!! I was so worried about having a girl--I didn't think I would know what to do! But I'm having the best time with this little girl--it's so much fun to get her all dressed up in those cute dresses and outfits! It's like having my own real life baby doll!!

She had her doctor's visit today and she weighs 8lbs. 15 oz.--almost 9 lbs! That still seems pretty small to me (especially compared to some of her "friends" that were born around the same time), but she's in the 50th percentile, so perfectly average. I guess she'll be a petite little girl!

However, she's 21 3/4 in. tall--90th percentile for height!! So whatever she's lacking in weight, she makes up for in height.

She's sleeping pretty good for me at night--we're up for 2 feedings still, but she's starting to drag out the last one that we'll hopefully drop very soon. She takes good naps during the day (somehow sleeps through Grayson singing at the top of his lungs--he even goes in her room to sing and she doesn't seem to hear him). I'm even able to get a good afternoon nap while Grayson is sleeping.

We are so thankful for all of the support we've had from family and friends these past few weeks as we were adjusting. Our church family provided meals for 3 weeks and now we're receiving meals from our amazing neighbors!! So I have been so blessed (and spoiled!!) not to have to fix many dinners so far. Thank you thank you thank you!!!

Haircut and First Smile

2011-05-14T18:24:00.000-07:00

Things have been pretty crazy around here. We pretty much just stay home most of the time with the exception of a few play dates and story hour at the library. I've found that it's pretty difficult to try to run errands with a 2 year old and an infant. So we just spend alot of time playing in our backyard, reading books, playing with playdough, and singing. We did have 2 big accomplishments this past week. Grayson got a much needed haircult. Trust me, this is not an easy task. How did I do it? Well, lots of M&Ms, a popsicle, and playdough..and it was still extremely difficult.

This little boy is full of energy these days--he doesn't slow down for very long. But he is really good at keeping us entertained!

The other big accomplishment was Caroline's first smile. Of course she saves all of her smiles for mommy in the middle of the night, so I haven't been able to catch it yet on camera. But, it does make all of those middle of the night feedings worth it!

Brotherly Love

2011-05-11T14:55:00.000-07:00

Grayson really loves his baby "sissy". He loves laying beside her, giving her kisses, and sharing his toys.

Caroline is now 4 weeks old. She's really focusing on things around her more and more. She's officially out of her "newborn" clothes and can now wear her cute summer outfits. I look forward to getting her dressed up everyday!

Mother's Day Weekend

2011-05-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

My mom was here all week this past week to help out while Chad had to be out of town for work. She was an amazing help with Grayson and she stayed busy with laundry and house cleaning as well. It was so nice to have someone here so that I could get out and run some errands. My dad came for the weekend, so Grayson was so happy to have his Mimi and Papa here.

We think Caroline is really close to smiling! Every now and then we seem to get a little smirk, but we're still waiting on that heart melting "first smile".

It was such a nice Mother's Day!! I am so thankful to the Lord that He has allowed me to be a mother to these 2 sweet children and to be able to stay home with them and not miss a moment as they grow up.

I was also so happy to be able to spend Mother's Day with my mom. She has been such an example of a Godly mother and I pray that I will be just as loving and selfless to my children as she is to me.

Caroline and Abby Ruth- BFF

2011-05-02T10:07:00.000-07:00

The cousins finally met each other for the first time this weekend. We traveled to Clinton for the exciting reunion out of utero!

They were so sweet together--mostly sleeping, eating, the usual....

Grayson enjoying an icecream cone on Mimi and Papa's front porch.

Papa getting some time with Caroline.

Papa and Mimi with their 2 new grandchildren--it's like having twins!!

The proud daddys

The proud mommas (and for some reason Dakota is posing for this picture)

Caroline with her Great Grandmama

Meeting Aunt Bonnie

Meeting Uncle Willy

I don't know why this picture is sideways, but here are the 2 cousins once again!! I'm sure they'll be best friends one day!!

Caroline- 2 weeks

2011-04-27T09:47:00.000-07:00

Caroline has been getting lots of love from her big brother. He loves to lay beside her, hold her, and kiss her. He also has been starting to share his toys with her. I'm sure that will change when she starts taking them from him on her own!

Caroline is such a sweet, laid back baby. We've really been enjoying her when she is awake and alert.

I'm not going to lie, I also enjoy these sleepy moments too!!

This picture looks worse than it really was. She actually enjoyed her bath until I had to wet her head. Then she got a little angry. This was her first real bath since her umbilical cord fell off (finally!!). She seemed to enjoy it much better than the sponge baths!

Grandma and Pops

2011-04-26T13:53:00.000-07:00

Grandma and Pops came for a visit last weekend. We really enjoyed their company since they don't get to come very often. Grayson loved having them here as well! Pops had to leave on Monday but Grandma was able to stay for the whole week. She was so amazing to have around--she stayed very busy washing clothes, cooking meals, grocery shopping, cleaning, and watching Grayson. It was so nice to have a break from all of those chores and focus on feeding Caroline and resting.

I'm a little behind on posting pictures, but some time last week we took our first walk with the double carseat attachment on our new stroller. The weather has finally warmed up so we've been taking many evening strolls.

Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt

2011-04-25T19:02:00.000-07:00

We had our annual Neighborhood Easter Egg Hunt this past weekend. Grayson really enjoyed it this year. His favorite part was opening the eggs to find the treat inside.

This is what Caroline did the whole time!! Maybe she'll enjoy it more next year...

Happy Easter!

2011-04-24T11:07:00.000-07:00

This was Caroline's first Sunday back to church--Easter Sunday!! 2 years ago, Grayson also went to church for the first time on Easter Sunday. I guess we're making it a tradition!

Grayson checking out his Easter basket full of goodies!!

Happy Easter!!
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His great mercy has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." 1 Peter 1:3-5

Playtime

2011-04-20T14:02:00.000-07:00

This was Caroline's first attempt at "playtime".

Well...not so successful. Oh well, she was only 6 days old, so we'll give her more time!

Keeping it Normal

2011-04-19T17:08:00.000-07:00

We're trying to keep things as normal as possible around here to make the transition easier for Grayson. We packed up and headed to the park one afternoon. Grayson loved playing with his daddy!!!

Caroline even enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.

Grayson is really doing well adjusting to his baby sister. He always asks to hold her and says, "my baby". He thinks all of her baby expressions and squeaks are so funny.

More Hospital Pics and Going Home

2011-04-17T09:49:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, Mimi and Papa were in town to take care of Grayson while Chad and I headed to the hospital. They were so happy to be here to meet sweet Caroline.

Grayson warmed up to his new sister very quickly. He's learning to hold her gently and give her sweet kisses.

We were so blessed to have such a healthy delivery and baby that we were allowed to come home a day early. We did do some begging, but it worked. Our hospital stay was amazing, but home is always better!!

Caroline was not too excited about her carseat at first.
She settled down quickly, though. The dress she wore home from the hospital was one of my old dresses. She is such a sweet baby.

Caroline Grace

2011-04-12T11:21:00.000-07:00

Welcome Caroline Grace Hayes
Born April 12 at 1:32am
7lbs. 7oz, 18.7" long

We had an amazing delivery --only 20 minutes of pushing!! We are all doing great!! Grayson is loving spending time with Mimi and Papa and he's figuring out how to be a big brother. More pictures and updates later.

A Weekend Visit

2011-04-05T11:31:00.000-07:00

This past weekend, we enjoyed a visit from Mimi and Papa. Grayson always LOVES for them to come and anticipates their visit days in advance.

Grayson always gets to stay up a little later whenever we have company, so here they are procrastinating bedtime.

The weather was beautiful on Sunday, so we spent some time outside before they had to leave. Grayson has gotten really good at catching little bugs, so this is what he spends a lot of his time doing whenever we're outside.

This is Grayson telling mommy and daddy "byebye". Apparently he thought it would be more fun to go home with Mimi and Papa.

This is probably our last family pic before Caroline arrives. I'm hoping it's soon as I am getting more and more uncomfortable!!

Some of my sweet friends from church had a prayer shower for me this weekend. Each of these ladies mean so much to me and it was so humbling for each of them to pray for me and my family. I am so very thankful for the church family that we have!!

Our little Cowboy

2011-03-19T17:53:00.000-07:00

Grayson is wearing his new PJ's he got from Uncle Willy and Aunt Bonnie for his birthday. He doesn't smile for the camera, but he says "cheese".

I love how the back of the pajamas have a cowboy hat!! So cute!!

Birthday Celebration

2011-03-14T11:04:00.000-07:00

This past weekend we celebrated Grayson's 2nd birthday with the Trammell side of the family. Everyone was there--Mimi, Papa, Grandmama, Daddymac, Aunt Bonnie, Uncle Willy--even Uncle Andrew and his girlfriend Sarah came from Nashville. We all had such a fun weekend together! Aunt Bonnie made Grayson this amazing Cookie Monster cake and Grayson was so excited when he saw it!!

Grayson enjoyed this party much better than his 1st birthday!! He loved all of the attention and kept us laughing the whole time!

He opened presents with Papa,

He played in his new tent with Mimi,

and even Grandmama had a turn in the tent!!

He also spent some time with Daddymac.

After his party, we all participated in the annual "Mac Hunt". Daddymac has always made a special egg hunt for us through the years--where we get to hunt for eggs that have money in them!! So, of course, none of us could resist . We all hunted eggs! Grayson also loved it and caught on very quickly!! We had to celebrate Easter very early this year since we won't be able to get together--several of us will be a bit preoccupied with the new little ones!!

Here we are with Caroline Grace and Abby Ruth! This is the last time we'll see Bonnie and William before the girls are born!! It's so hard to believe that the time is almost here!!

Completed Projects!

2011-03-09T11:23:00.000-08:00

I made a rag wreath for Caroline's room to put over her bed. It ended up being a very easy, inexpensive project and I love the way it pulls all of the colors together.

I also made the wall plaques above her crib. As for the empty picture frames, I plan on a set of her footprints in one and a picture of her in the other--but of course that will have to wait for now.
So Caroline's room is pretty much complete except for adding crown molding (which will hopefully happen before she arrives).

I found these simple baskets on clearance at Hobby Lobby and thought they would make the perfect, matching Easter baskets for Grayson and Caroline. So I had Chad's mom monogram their names on a piece of fabric and I added them to the liner using buttons. Grayson has already been practicing "egg hiding and hunting" this year.

And, last but not least, Chad painted the shelf that Papa made for Grayson to store books above his bed. The shelf has worked out perfectly as Grayson now has something to do as he hangs out in his bed when he wakes up early in the morning or early from a nap (and mommy is not yet ready to get him up!).
I told Grayson to smile and this is what I got:
While pointing to his smile, he said "Cheese!"

A Peek at the Nursery

2011-03-02T11:31:00.001-08:00

Here is our little girl nursery. I still have to hang some things on the wall, so it is not quite finished. I kept the wall color the same because I LOVE the blue!! The bedding actually has lots of girly colors in it, so it made it easy just to blend right in.
Once again, the lighting is terrible. Either I don't know how to take pictures, or our house is just dark!

I made a couple of throw pillows for the bed. My mom made the matching bedskirts that turned out beautifully.

I've had a few projects I've been working on lately. I made this diaper bag and wet bag for sweet Caroline.
Oh by the way--her name is CAROLINE GRACE, if you didn't already know.
Chad's mom came last weekend, so she monogrammed lots of things for me.
I'll share afew other projects soon if I can ever get them finished.
Is life always going to be this busy?!?

It's Official

2011-02-27T18:43:00.000-08:00

Yep, after 2 full days of looking, we finally found the perfect car for our growing family!! I never thought I'd be driving a minivan one day, but I have to say that I love it!! The space is amazing!!
So, there you have it...my official "mommy mobile", "grocery-getter", "swagger wagon"
(The Swagger Wagon--you should definitely click this link!!),--whatever you want to call it---we are loving our new-to-us Toyota Sienna (and will for the next 20 years)!!

We owe a huge thank you to Chad's mom who came for the weekend to watch Grayson so we could do our searching!!

Weekend in Greenville

2011-02-22T14:08:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we headed to Greenville for a shower for Bonnie. We were able to spend the day on Saturday with Uncle William and Aunt Bonnie. It was so nice outside so we went to the park downtown for lunch.

Grayson loved running around and seeing the water.

Here's me and Bonnie at the shower trying to see who's bigger. It's so funny because everytime we take a picture, she usually looks bigger. But, I promise, in reality, I am the bigger one!! I can't wait to see which baby comes first!!
We spent the rest of the weekend in Clinton with Mimi and Papa, which Grayson always enjoys.

Grayson's friend, Lydia, came over for the day to play with Grayson. She is such a big help in that she keeps him entertained the whole day!! He loves doing anything that she does!!! She even pushed him around in the yard in the stroller for a little while. I'm looking forward to more days with her once the baby gets here--I'm sure Grayson will love the special attention from Lydia!!

Playing Outside

2011-02-17T10:14:00.000-08:00

We've been having AMAZING weather this week, so we've been spending lots of time outside.
Grayson was determined to wear this hat today, even though it does not fit. A few months ago he wouldn't have anything to do with a hat. But now, apparently, he loves them.

Big Boy Room!!

2011-02-15T10:51:00.000-08:00

I finally have pictures to share of Grayson's big boy room! We finished hanging the pictures on the wall this weekend. We had quite a collection of painting/drawings that Chad had done in high school, so I was happy to get to use those in G's room. The fish painting above the bed was a painting that Chad did when he was 6 years old--isn't it precious?!

Sorry for the dark picture. There is no over head light in his room, so that's another thing on our list. Chad painted the sailboat picture in high school--the colors worked perfectly!
We still need to get a mirror to hang over the dresser.

I love how G's toys are all organized now. He seems to really like it too, and he's great about keeping things in the right basket and cleaning up after himself! The drawings above this shelf are also from Chad's high school artwork.

So, it's not quite finished, but definitely close! Mimi is making a bed skirt, Papa is making a bookshelf to go above the bed like this, and Grandma is going to come do some monogramming for me on her fancy machine! We have had so much fun putting all of this together for Grayson and he seems to LOVE it!! We're also thankful for the help we've already had from Mimi and Papa--they came to hang crown molding a few weekends ago and Mimi helped out with Grayson while I got some of the shopping done. Next up? A sneak peek at Baby Girl's nursery--and maybe we'll even reveal the name!!!

Big Boy Bed

2011-02-02T05:51:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I attempted to put Grayson down in his big boy bed for his nap for the very first time. Much to my amazement, it didn't seem to phase him and he went right to sleep as usual!! I couldn't believe the transition could go that smoothly, so we put him to bed that night in his big boy bed (prepared to be up in the middle of the night at least once), but, much to our surprise, he laid down and went right to sleep!! We didn't hear a peep until his normal wake up time--and he was just sitting there talking to his bear bear. We couldn't be more proud of him!! He seems to love his new bed! I guess I wasn't prepared for it all to happen so fast!! During his naptime, I walked into the nursery and saw his empty crib--I couldn't help but cry--just realizing that he may never sleep in his crib again!! My little boy is growing up so fast!

What We've Been Up To

2011-01-29T11:11:00.000-08:00

Since Thursday, Chad and I have been babysitting for some sweet friends of ours. They have a little girl that is 6 months older than Grayson and a son that is 4. So we've been very busy with these 3!!

Grayson and Leigh have had so much fun doing everything together.
They love playing these little handbells. They both spin around and around. Notice that Leigh has on her brother's shoes--she has a little infatuation with shoes!

One of the most exciting parts about the weekend is that I've been able to try out my second seat attachment with my new stroller. I love it!! I put them facing each other and they started kicking, so I had to turn one of them around. We've already walked to the mall twice and taken a walk to the park. It's been a great trial run and I'm so excited to have it when baby girl Hayes gets here. I'm so glad we had it early to get us through this weekend so that we could get outside!

Aunt Bonnie and Mimi Week

2011-01-22T07:25:00.001-08:00

This past week, my mom and Bonnie came to stay. Bonnie and I had so much fun doing lots of shopping while Mimi stayed home with Grayson. We were also able to get some sewing done. I helped her slipcover her cushions for her glider and we made some sweet onesies for our little girls to wear to the beach in September!

The most exciting part of our time together (I think we would both agree) was that we ordered a stroller!! Since this is her first child, she's trying to find a stroller that will be useful for 2 kiddos in the future. (Yes, she's just as practical as me!) And as for me, we never really got a nice single stroller because I knew I would eventually want to get a nice double stroller. So the best solution that I have found is this Baby Jogger City Select. Yep, it comes with a whopping price tag!! But... we were able to find it on Amazon for $280, which is only the price of the single. I still have to order the attachments for the second seat and the car seat adaptor. And for me, that's still alot of money for a stroller. However, this stroller is absolutely amazing!!

The seats come in and out easily and it can be used as a single or a double--a lifetime stroller!!! Now, this is where my Swagbucks have been a HUGE help: If you are not yet signed up for Swagbucks, you should do it now!! Check out the link on the side of my blog. So far, I have had enough Swagbucks to get $75 of Amazon credit to use towards my stroller!!! And I'm earning more everyday--so I plan on earning more to help me buy my other attachments!! I'm also selling my other 2 strollers that I had with Grayson (that I won't need anymore--yay!!). So all of that money will also go towards the new stroller. One stroller that will meet all of my stroller needs!! I'm so excited!! And that means I won't have 3 strollers to store around my house!! So, in the meantime, we're both awaiting the arrival of our strollers and I can't wait to get outside with it and try it out!
I'll leave you with some pics from the week:

Growing Baby Girls

Grayson trying on Mimi's shoes! He was a little outnumbered this week with all of us girls!!

Snowbound

2011-01-12T14:28:00.000-08:00

Chad was so excited with the recent snow, the first thing he did was set his pan outside to collect snow for snowcream. Within 45 minutes, his pan was overflowing, so he brought it inside to get started on his beloved recipe.

Grayson enjoyed the snow so much more this year. We took him sledding on the road in front of our house. He loved it!

"Crunch, crunch, crunch". After reading his favorite book, The Snowy Day, about 2 million times so far, he was finally able to get out to experience the snow. Now he especially loves the book even more, so we find ourselves reading it to him over and over and over.

Since Chad had 2 days off of work, he spent most of his day in this room--Grayson's big boy room. He's in the process of patching cracks and priming, so that I can get started with the fun part--painting. I'm so anxious to get this room finished and get Grayson moved in so that I can get started on Baby Girl's nursery!

I'm starting to get "cabin fever" and I'm so ready to get out of the house!! Hopefully the ice will be melted from the roads very soon.

A few recent photos

2011-01-09T17:12:00.000-08:00

Enjoying his last gingerbread man of the year (thanks, Mimi!)

Chad and I received a book of 15,000 Baby Names for Christmas. (We have yet to decide --or agree, rather, on a name for Baby Girl. ) For some odd reason, Grayson loves looking at this book. We will often find him sitting in a chair flipping through the pages and studying it intently. This is how I found him the other day -with that book.

Since he has really enjoyed sitting in the "big" chairs recently, we decided to get him a chair of his own. So now we are sure to find him sitting in his own chair "studying" his books.

One More Stop

2011-01-03T09:49:00.000-08:00

We traveled back through Clinton on our way home to stay for a few more nights. Since we missed playing in the snow, Papa saved Grayson a snowman so that he could decorate it. Not much left of it, but it was better than nothing!

And of course he had to get a few more hugs and love from Grandmama and Daddymac!!

Christmas with the Hayes

2011-01-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

We left Clinton and headed to the beach to have Christmas with Chad's family. As we were leaving, the snow was coming. Unfortunately, there was no accumulation at the beach, so we just had to watch it fall from inside.

Grayson had so much fun with Noah. They're learning to take turns.

We had so much fun visiting with Grandma and Pops. It's so fun having all the cousins together!

Christmas with the Trammells

2010-12-26T09:57:00.000-08:00

Making gingerbread men with Mimi

2 baby girls --due 1 week apart!!

I have no idea what is going on in this picture!! Needless to say, Grayson had a good time with Uncle Andrew!

We were able to get together with some special friends. We are all due within a week of each other. April will be a very busy month for babies!! 2 girls and 2 boys!!

Ready for the live nativity with Papa

Christmas Party

2010-12-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

We were so happy to be able to host a little Christmas party this morning. Some of the stay-at-home moms from church have a "play group" that meets each week. We have really enjoyed being a part of this group--Grayson gets lots of "play" time and mommy gets lots of "girl" time with the other moms. For our last gathering of the year, we had everyone over to our house for a lunch. Here are the "big kids" from the group:

All of the "babies" (there were 4 of them!) were rolling around on the living room floor. This wasn't even everyone--we had a few families missing. We really have a large, growing group. There are 5 babies on the way this next year! The kids far outnumber the moms--it' s pretty crazy when we're all together! We are so thankful for our friends and the time that we get to spend with them each week!!

SANTA

2010-12-20T20:15:00.000-08:00

" oh yeah, I remember you..you're the guy in my books."

Umm.... Sorry Santa! Maybe next year....

Cookie Exchange

2010-12-17T20:09:00.000-08:00

After a week of sickness at our house, Grayson and I were very happy to be well enough to get out of the house for a cookie exchange. Decorating cookies was a new experience for Grayson and he seemed to enjoy every second--especially the sprinkles! We came home with lots of yummy cookies and new recipes!

Santa Is In Town

2010-12-06T11:11:00.000-08:00

Santa officially made it to the Marietta Square last week and we were there!

No, this is not Grayson, but this little girl is not happy about sitting in Santa's lap! I just think this Mr. and Mrs. Claus are so amazing!!

Grayson is not too sure what to think of the guy in the red suit.

The line was too long to sit in Santa's lap, but we did get to sit in Santa's "ride". Yep, our Marietta Santa comes to town in a shiny, red fire truck!
We'll be back at some point to have a seat in his lap--and I'm sure we'll have pics to share!