Todd & Me Plus Three

Another new trick

2009-09-15T14:02:00.001-05:00

She likes to move it, move it!

2009-09-15T13:43:00.002-05:00

Pearly Whites!

2009-09-15T13:38:00.001-05:00

It's been rough...

and she doesn't even like to talk about it...

but if you look closely, you will see almost 2 teeth right there...

SEE!

My Boys

2009-09-15T12:52:00.000-05:00

Doll Baby

2009-09-15T12:49:00.000-05:00

Luke's first day of Kindergarten

2009-08-24T11:04:00.001-05:00

He was slightly excited.

And a little nervous.

Bye my Sweet Baby Luke! *sniff*

He had a great day.

Mama Carson

2009-08-24T10:53:00.001-05:00

Carson wanted to wear Audrey's new baby doll like I wear my babies. Too, too cute. He was so serious about taking care of his baby!

This is a glimpse of his sweet, snuggly, loveable side that I so often forget to tell everyone about because I'm too busy chasing him. He actually is the most touchy-feely of all three. He loves to snuggle and run his fingers through anybody's hair that will let him.

This Kid

2009-08-24T10:40:00.002-05:00

can happily play in his room,

can sweetly sit and pat his bible,

and the minute I turn my back...

will expertly destroy his brother's room.

Rocking her Tutu

2009-08-24T10:33:00.000-05:00

Recommitted

2009-07-28T21:16:00.002-05:00

Facebook has taken me away from blogging, but I am recommitting myself. After all, this blog is my digital scrapbook for the babies since I've never gotten around to actually putting their baby books together. Maybe one day! Todd helped me come up with the new name. We have evolved from "Those Jenkins Boys" (with the addition of the Jenkins girl in January) to "The Jenkids" (which never quite felt right) to "Todd & Me Plus Three". Love it! Stay tuned...

Audrey's Four Month Check-up

2009-05-07T07:04:00.001-05:00

Audrey had a great check-up yesterday with Dr. Chris. He said she was just perfect, but we already knew that. Right? She weighed in at a little over 14 pounds (60%) and was a little over 24 inches long (48%). I knew we were in trouble when she got mad at the oral rotovirus vaccine. The two shots just made her lose her mind! I've never heard such a high-pitched, pitiful cry. It definitely made mama break a sweat!

My Angel Girl

2009-05-04T11:15:00.000-05:00

New Bed

2009-05-04T11:14:00.000-05:00

Cutie Patootie

2009-05-04T11:12:00.000-05:00

Anakin Hair...he's so proud!

2009-05-04T11:07:00.000-05:00

Impressive

2009-05-04T11:05:00.000-05:00

Fixed YouTube Videos

2009-04-05T21:30:00.004-05:00

Sorry about the problems with the YouTube videos I posted on March 25. I fixed the problem now, so you can view the Portrait Innovation pictures and the sweet girl talking to her giraffe friend.

What Luke Thinks about Me

2009-03-30T23:12:00.002-05:00

When Ronda was here, she was tagged on a facebook quiz. She had a list of questions to ask the kids regarding their moms. She asked Luke the following questions when I was out of the room. I love him so!

What is something mom always says to you?
Go to bed at 8:30

What makes mom happy?
When I go to bed early

What makes mom sad?
When I get hurt

How does your mom make you laugh?
She tickles me

What was your mom like as a child?
She liked baby dolls

How old is your mom?
13

How tall is your mom?
3 inches or 400 inches

What is her favorite thing to do?
Take me to fun places

What does your mom do when you're not around?
Play with Carson and eat

If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
Cooking

What is your mom really good at?
Working

What is your mom not very good at?
Driving a space ship

What does your mom do for a job?
Went to work before Carson

What is your mom's favorite food?
Broccoli

What makes you proud of your mom?
She’s proud of me

If your mom were a cartoon character, who would she be?
A Star Wars guy

What do you and your mom do together?
Go to Chuck E Cheeses

How are you and your mom the same?
We both have circle heads

How are you and your mom different?
Mama has a bigger foot than me

How do you know your mom loves you?
She kisses me all the time

What does your mom like most about your dad?
Sometimes he takes her on dates

Where is your mom's favorite place to go?
McDonalds

For the record, my favorite place to go is NOT McDonald's although the one on Buttermilk is pretty snazzy and they give me free food *sometimes*, but that's a story for another day.

First Trip to PI with Three

2009-03-25T19:28:00.002-05:00

We had a two hour adventure at Portrait Innovations last week while the Chandler's were visiting. I needed all the help I could get! Special thanks to Ronda for driving back to my house after I realized I'd left the wardrobe changes. I think the pictures turned out great. Here they all are...including the blooper shots.

Audrey Cooing

2009-03-25T19:23:00.001-05:00

She loves to talk to the giraffe toy on the high chair.

Luke's 5th Birthday Party

2009-03-23T14:25:00.000-05:00

A little belated, but here you go!

Carson Gives Mama a Hand

2009-03-09T21:10:00.005-05:00

I love him. I swear I do. However, my Carson challenges me on a daily basis. He has truly rocked my world and I love that about him (most of the time!). Take a look into our world...
So sweet:

Not so sweet:

Happy Girl

2009-03-09T21:09:00.000-05:00

Help!

2009-03-08T08:39:00.000-05:00

My sweet neighbor, Samantha, has just started helping me a couple of afternoons a week after she gets out of school. It's great to have someone to play with the boys during the "witching hour" (4-5pm is always CRAZY) while I get caught up on my day! The boys love her and look forward to her time with us.

Sweet Luke is 5

2009-03-02T13:23:00.002-06:00

Hello!

2009-02-24T14:27:00.000-06:00

Happy Valentine's--belated

2009-02-16T08:21:00.000-06:00

Hope you all felt very loved for Valentine's Day. My brother, Justin, and his wife, Heather, came up to watch the little sweeties for us and they even brought flowers! What a treat!

Pajama Party

2009-02-16T08:08:00.000-06:00

For letter P week at school, Luke's class wore their pajamas. Luke thought this was "awesome". Carson thought he was going to get to go to school too, bless his heart!

Potty Power

2009-02-16T07:57:00.000-06:00

My kids love this dvd. It's great to introduce and reinforce potty training. Thanks Kristi!

Bubble Boys

2009-02-03T16:24:00.001-06:00

We had another snowy day today and I needed a "filler" for the afternoon. The boys had lots of fun in their "big tub bubble bath". I'm happy to report that I was able to get them both completely bathed and dressed. Most everything else I've attempted today has gotten only half done...laundry, dishes, cleaning out the fridge, playing a game with Luke...Oh Well!

Girlie Girl, part 2: Baby Legs

2009-02-03T16:18:00.000-06:00

I've added Baby Legs (leg warmers) to her wardrobe. When Carson was a baby I saw these at Little Star Lane (cute boutique in Homewood, AL) and I REALLY wanted to get him a pair (not with pink hearts, of course) but I knew Todd would have nixed them right away! Saw these at Target the other day and had to have them!

LOTS of snow and ice

2009-01-29T07:04:00.000-06:00

How to Grow a Girlie Girl

2009-01-26T11:13:00.000-06:00

Monograms, Bows, and Ballet Socks. I'm loving this!

Thanks for the shirt Amie!

Thanks for the socks Legend and Brandy!

Audrey is not so impressed!

Bragging on my Baby Boy (who thinks he's 5)

2009-01-26T08:11:00.004-06:00

Carson the Great Sleeper
You may recall my desperate blog posts near the end of my pregnancy detailing the horrible sleep habits that I had let Carson fall into. We were going to be in BIG trouble if this did not improve before the baby was born. Thanks to Todd's "hard-nosed" approach (he wouldn't let me rush in every time the little guy cried), Carson is now a perfect sleeper. He lets us lay him down in his bed between 7-7:30pm (usually without a peep) and we don't hear from him again until between 6-6:30am. This has been going on since right before Audrey was born. What a blessing!!!

Carson the Big Brother
Carson is really adjusting well to having a new baby sister. He loves her so much and is always giving her sloppy wet kisses (he's teething) on the top of her head. Afterwards he is disturbed that her hair is all wet. *He's a bit of a perfectionist.*

Carson and the Elmo Potty
Carson has been showing an interest in using the potty so I figured since we are pretty much home-bound right now (dead of winter and new baby) I'd start trying to potty train. On Friday I introduced Carson to his new Elmo potty. Within minutes of taking it out of the box he had peed in it. I started letting him wear pull-ups (he's very proud of the Lightning McQueen on them) during the day while we are at home. He's told me a few times that he has to go. By this I mean he starts saying LaLa (Elmo) and pointing to the bathroom door. What a smart boy!

Carson and Kindermusik
Last Thursday Carson started his new Kindermusik semester. He moved up to the next age group so he is now one of the youngest in the class. The age range is 18 months to 3.3 years. He did so great and showed all the leadership qualities that he demonstrated in the previous classes. Basically he was running the show and keeping those 3 year olds in line! At one point they were all supposed to sit on a blanket and listen to a story. He was the only one that stayed on there the whole time and anytime another child would "stray" he would point and say "uh oh!". This is hilarious when you consider we can't even keep our dining chairs at the table because I can't keep him from climbing on the table. How is that for selective obedience?

Teaching Moment?

2009-01-21T07:21:00.001-06:00

I tried to have a teaching moment with the boys yesterday during the inauguration, but Luke was more interested in taking pictures of the tv and Carson just wanted to wrestle his brother (so much for a peaceful transfer of power). Luke did teach Carson how to chant "Obama, Obama, Obama..." like the crowd was doing on tv. The little guy won't say his name, but he will say Obama at the drop of a hat. It did, however, come out sounding more like "Oh Mama". I would post the video that Luke took of Carson saying it but there are some not so discreet shots of OhMama feeding Audrey her lunch!

Thank Goodness

2009-01-20T14:29:00.000-06:00

She likes the sling!

All Three

2009-01-20T13:52:00.003-06:00

Today is my first full day home alone with all three children and it's going great so far. We have yet to reach the 'witching hour' (4-5pm) when we are ALWAYS ready for Daddy to be home! Here are some pictures I took this afternoon of all three. They are wearing the adorable shirts that Amie Willgruber made for them. In case you can't read them in the photos: Carson=Big Brother, Luke=Bigger Brother, and Audrey=Little Sister. Enjoy!

Swinging Carson

2009-01-20T08:17:00.001-06:00

Carson likes Audrey's swing more than she does. Scary! It was not turned on by the way...that's just momentum!

From Carson Swings

Getting to know baby sister

2009-01-20T06:36:00.000-06:00

Here are some moments we captured with the boys and Audrey. As I was going through deciding what pictures to post, I realized that there were lots of Carson and Audrey, but only a couple of Luke and Audrey. Carson is all about loving on her (maybe too much) and Luke is more standoffish with her.

Home Sweet Home

2009-01-11T14:56:00.000-06:00

I am finally home from the hospital. I was released yesterday (Saturday) after being there since 4am on Tuesday. We have been busy trying to get into a routine and re-introducing Audrey to her brothers. All of the children seem to be adjusting very well. Thanks to everyone for all of their kind thoughts and prayers.

Silver Lining

2009-01-07T21:17:00.000-06:00

Looks like I am going to be in the hospital for a few more days. This morning the doctor told me I should "get comfortable". I am feeling good most of the time, but when there is any kind of lapse in pain medication I get miserable FAST. Mom came in this afternoon to relieve Todd at the hospital and we had fun giving Audrey a bath and taking lots of pictures of the little angel! The silver lining to this hospital stay is the priceless bonding time that we have gotten to spend with our new pink bundle. Every time I look at her my heart just feels like it's going to burst. She's just that special! Here are some of the pictures we took this afternoon.

The worst part of the stay is being away from my boys though. I miss them so much!

A Baby's Prayer

2009-01-07T20:55:00.002-06:00

O God, you watch me and you know me...
You created my innermost self,
and put me together in my mother's womb.
For these mysteries I thank you,
for the wonders of myself,
for the wonderful work of your hands.
You know me through and through
from having watched
my bones take shape
when I was being formed
in secret...
Now watch me, protect me
and lead me in your ways.
Psalm 139 (adapted)

This scripture was given to me by Sister Helen, one of the chaplains at the hospital.

As Carson would say...Uh Oh

2009-01-06T23:23:00.003-06:00

Hi friends. Just wanted to let you know that I am back in the hospital with what appears to be a kidney infection. I got a fever early Tuesday morning and was admitted for IV antibiotics. The doctor says I can expect to be here for 24-36 hours. Audrey has been with me and Todd's here helping take care of both of us. I am starting to feel better. Please pray that I will get better soon so I can go home to my boys!

Welcome Audrey!

2009-01-02T19:51:00.000-06:00

Audrey Grace Jenkins was born today at 2:17pm. She weighed in at 7lbs .05oz and 19.5 inches long. She's just precious. Great labor and delivery experience once again!

We're all ready for her!

2009-01-01T21:38:00.001-06:00

After much asking from Stacey and Ronda, I'm finally posting a few pictures of the baby's room. Thanks to Granni for painting and GiGi for helping me pull it all together! You may notice in the closet picture that she already has lots of clothes thanks to my generous friends and family!

I'm being induced in the morning so stay tuned! Baby by lunchtime??? Let's hope so!

Serious Business

2008-12-22T07:37:00.000-06:00

I love this picture. Look how serious he is about writing his name just right.

A Christmas Miracle

2008-12-22T07:30:00.001-06:00

Carson slept from 8pm until 7am this morning without making a peep! Perhaps we have turned a corner on his sleep issues or maybe he was just too cold to cry since the low here last night was below freezing...BRRRRRRRRRRR!!! Either way, I'm counting my blessings this morning!

Although this was his nap yesterday(uncle joe is kind of wacky!)...

It's Official

2008-12-19T18:49:00.000-06:00

I am ready for this baby to be born! I do need suggestions for a new name for my blog though. Thoughts???

Lovin' our new Stroller

2008-12-17T13:21:00.000-06:00

Thanks Papaw and Grandma. We may actually be able to leave the house again once Audrey is born. By the way, Luke understands this is not for him...he just wanted a ride in the choo choo with Carson!

CARSON!

2008-12-17T07:35:00.000-06:00

Snowy Tuesday, part 3

2008-12-16T16:10:00.003-06:00

This is even more funny when you know how cautious my Luke usually is! Click the movie icon on bottom left of picture.

From Snowy Tuesday

Snowy Tuesday, part 2

2008-12-16T15:54:00.000-06:00

Happy

Not so happy.

Snowy Tuesday, part 1

2008-12-16T15:33:00.005-06:00

Love the snowsuits! Thanks GiGi!

My angel!

Where did he find this garbage?!

Star of the Week

2008-12-16T10:52:00.001-06:00

Every Friday in Luke's class Mrs. Bluford chooses a Star of the Week for the next week. Every Friday Luke is disappointed that he was not chosen as the Star of the Week...until last Friday!!! He is so excited. What does it mean to be the Star of the Week, you may ask? For Monday, we made a little poster for him to share with the class of all his favorite things. Favorite Animal: a penguin; Favorite Color: blue; Favorite Food: macaroni n' cheese; Favorite Toy: star wars. On Wednesday, he gets to take in his favorite story for storytime and on Friday we get to take in a special snack. He also gets to eat lunch with the class "mascot" each day. It's a stuffed animal dog named Hutch.

They named the baby Jesus...

2008-12-12T05:52:00.001-06:00

From Exported Videos

Desperate Times

2008-12-08T06:07:00.002-06:00

Tis the season to be fighting illnesses, but seriously our household is going on it's 5th week of someone being sick enough to require the doctor. It started with Luke and a bout of Fifth Disease, then ear infection and general ickiness. Next, Carson got the croup which developed into an ear infection and now Todd is very sick with a mystery sore throat. I'm tired. Carson always falls into bad sleep habits when he's sick, and currently he won't sleep for more than two hours (usually 7-9) in his own bed before he DEMANDS to be with me. I've relocated to the couch because I don't want to catch Todd's "ick". So that means Carson has been joining me. It's not a pretty situation seeing as how I'm nearly 9 months pregnant and all...

Granni got Carson a flip and fold Elmo sofa for Christmas that she told me I could give to him early if I wanted. I decided to do that last night in hopes that he would sleep there instead of on top of me (and Audrey) on the couch. It worked for a couple hours last night.

Seriously, I am so tired!!! SEE...

Who Me?

2008-12-07T06:50:00.002-06:00

This is what a "Carson-proof" Christmas tree looks like. Yes, we are finished decorating. Seems to work pretty well! We have another one upstairs with ornaments all the way to the bottom that Luke helped decorate.

Look at that face!

My little buckaroo. He is such a busy boy!

Snowy Saturday

2008-12-06T10:24:00.000-06:00

Happy Luke!

2008-12-02T09:27:00.001-06:00

Luke and Daddy spent some time putting together these awesome train tracks. I'm so glad he still enjoys the trains, but they have really taken a back seat to Star Wars and Transformers. I guess my baby is growing up. We are trying to teach Carson how to play with the tracks without taking them apart. He's making some progress, but still has a way to go! He does love his "choo choo's" though. The jury is still out on whether he will be the fanatic that Luke was!

34 Weeks and She Has a Name

2008-12-02T09:20:00.001-06:00

Here is what I'm looking like these days. Getting big, but not nearly the swelling I had with the boys (hope I didn't just jinx myself!).

We've decided on Audrey Grace Jenkins for the name. Hope you all love it, we do!!!

My Little Daredevil the Artist

2008-12-02T09:12:00.002-06:00

These photos combine two of Carson's favorite past-times. 1) Climbing on the table and 2) Coloring. Brilliant work, huh?

Me and My Boys

2008-11-12T14:04:00.000-06:00

I like this picture that Ronda took of us in Nashville.

Luke Hearts Spongebob

2008-11-12T13:46:00.001-06:00

This is a fixture at the zoo. Luke was very pleased!

Stop the Presses, Hold the Monograms...

2008-11-11T06:27:00.003-06:00

Just wanted to let everyone know that Todd and I have started to waiver on our name choice for Baby Girl. This is new territory for us because we've been able to lock in on the boys names right away. I thought we had this one, but he is not crazy about a double name and I don't want to do Lauren by itself. Stay tuned as we continue our negotiations! So far (from the names that we haven't completely shot down) I like Audrey and Kate, he likes Cybil (we just remembered this is what we were going to name a girl luke!).

A Baby Girl

2008-08-12T08:20:00.002-05:00

We had our ultrasound yesterday and found out that we are having a baby girl. What a perfect complement to our family. We are all super excited. Keeping with our tradition of early naming, Todd and I have decided that her name will be Lauren Kate Jenkins.

I could go on and on, but the packers will be here in an hour to start the moving process and I am swamped. All of this moving drama is imposing on my baby girl daydream time!!!

I will post her ultrasound picture once we are set up in the new house...the scanner is already packed.

Baby Carson is One!

2008-06-25T06:59:00.003-05:00

This year was Luke's first year to participate in vacation bible school and he loved it. The first week in June was Kidlife Week at Dawson and I was able to participate as one of the teachers in his class. We were so happy that Drew was able to go with us. Last week, Ronda took Drew and Luke to their church's vacation bible school. I love the fact that Luke loves learning about God. Here is a conversation that he and Daddy had at bedtime a couple of weeks ago.

Luke: Daddy, today was my second best day ever.

Daddy: When was your best day?

Luke: My best day ever will be when I fly.

Luke: (clarifying) When I fly to heaven. Will I still be Luke when I get to heaven?

Daddy: Yes, you will always be Luke.

How sweet is that boy???

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-18T14:35:00.004-05:00

Father's Day at our house was a little low key this year because Mama was not her overacheiving self BUT...we do have a great Daddy at our house and he deserves to be honored! Thank you, Todd, for being a wonderful father to our boys. I love you!

Luke's Birthday

Carson's Birthday

Go Speed Racer!

2008-06-17T11:28:00.004-05:00

Update (6.19.08): When Hope watched this video she said her friend told her that when babies look back under their legs like Carson did that means they are looking for the next baby in the family. Hmmm....

Did I mention I've been sick?

2008-06-14T08:56:00.004-05:00

Once again this first trimester is kicking my butt... This is one of the main reasons I've slacked off so much on the blogging the last few weeks. Hopefully I will be back to my self in the next couple of weeks!

Our Surprise Baby

2008-06-13T10:01:00.004-05:00

Here is the first photo of our little surprise baby taken yesterday morning. The little one is almost 10 weeks old and the estimated due date is January 11, 2009. Wow...I still can't believe I'm pregnant again! We told Luke about it last night and he said he was excited and happy. This morning when I showed him the picture he said that he thinks it looks like a girl. Funny boy! Todd told Carson this morning that he was going to be a big brother. We got no reaction except a brilliant attempt to grab the candle sitting on the counter beside him.

Greatest Day Ever

2008-06-13T09:49:00.004-05:00

Here is a photo and video of Luke, Carson, and Drew in the new inflatable that Papaw got Carson for his birthday. Notice on the video Luke and Drew keep saying it's the greatest day ever because of the inflatable in our living room. HA!

Our Little Swimmer

2008-05-15T08:47:00.005-05:00

Luke is about half way through his swim lesson session and he is starting to swim on his own. We are so proud of him!!! Thanks to Papaw for paying for the private lessons.

Here are some pictures and a couple of videos. Unfortunately, I've done it again with the video and you have to put your left ear on your left shoulder to view them properly. I will try to get some better footage and post it soon!

Carson's new ride...

Mother's Day Weekend

2008-05-15T08:17:00.004-05:00

Several weeks ago I started dropping hints about how I expected Mother's Day to be extra special this year. And by dropping hints I mean telling Todd, "I want Mother's Day to be extra special this year". Maybe it's the fact that I have two children this year or that I get to stay home with them more now, but I was really feeling the need to be "celebrated". Yep, I said it.

My sweet husband did not disappoint. He did special things for me all weekend like cleaning out my car and the drain in my bathroom sink :). On Sunday morning he let me sleep in, cooked breakfast, and gave me a sweet card with a picture of the boys on it and an IOU for the Wii game that I have been asking for--Wii Fit. After church we went out to lunch. We also went to the park and then did a little shopping for the new stroller that I've been wanting for Carson (and ME). It was a really great day. I feel very blessed to be married to such a caring man and my children just light up my world. By the end of the day I was exhausted, but filled with joy and thanksgiving for my family. I could not ask for more!

Here are a few pictures from the weekend.

Carson at the Buck Creek Festival on Saturday--he's wishing he could get in one of the inflatables...maybe next year!

Luke loved this inflatable--it was a little humid out, can you tell???

Higher Daddy!

Fun with the new stroller box...

Atlanta Weekend

2008-05-09T09:02:00.006-05:00

We had fun in Atlanta last weekend. We went to the Georgia Aquarium on Saturday and to the Braves (vs. Reds) game on Sunday. Thank you Heather for getting us a perfect room at an awesome rate. I think Luke's favorite part was staying in the hotel!

We forgot our camera in the car at the aquarium (can you believe that???!!). Here is a picture of the boys with a map of the place...how sad!

Daddy and the boys. This was taken by the table at the restaurant where we ate lunch.

We were thankful for our shady seats!

Luke and Carson at their first major league baseball game.

The boys (especially Luke) enjoyed this part!

Carson and Me

Check out that parking spot. We only ignore one set of police barricades to get this close :)

And here is a little video of Carson playing on the drive home.

Young at Heart

2008-05-09T08:52:00.006-05:00

On Wednesday night at church, Luke's class put together a little prayer book. They cut out pictures of things that they were thankful for. Apparently, Luke is thankful for Sophi (our neighbor dog) and his mother and father (although he sees us as SO much older than we really are!). Here is his project...

April Showers bring May Flowers

2008-05-02T12:50:00.007-05:00

Spring is my favorite time of the year around here. We have been doing a lot of outside playing (and learning) the past few weeks. Luke asked to plant sunflowers, so we did along with pumpkin seeds [see above].

Luke's Spring soccer season just wrapped up. The Spiders, like the Dragonflies in the fall, had a bit of "Bad news Bears" syndrome but Luke really started to go after the ball by the end of the season. Jason, Stacey, and Hayley Belle came to watch his last game and I think he wanted to impress them. He almost scored a goal, but the referee got in the way and it ricocheted off her leg...what a bummer!!! I heard Luke talking to Drew a few days after the game and he said that "His Jason and Stacey came to watch him play". I thought that was sweet.

We put the ferns out on the front porch a few weeks ago and watched the finch family build their nest. They have carefully laid one new egg every day for the last four mornings. Noone has moved into our new birdhouse yet, but the birds and squirrels are constantly at the bird feeder. Another new addition is the patio furniture on our back deck. It's only taken us four years. Dinners on the deck have brought us lots of pleasure lately. An added bonus is not having to sweep and mop after every meal since the birds and squirrels take care of the "extra" that Luke and Carson generate.

Finch eggs

Our vacant birdhouse and occupied bird feeder

Patio furniture--what a great yardsale find!

Carson's first scraped knee :(

Another reason why the Odyssey rocks

10 months old!

2008-04-25T08:22:00.007-05:00

Carson Todd is ten months old today. He is such a busy and curious boy. He spends most of his time either being a super-sweet snuggler or heading straight for anything he is not supposed to have--garbage cans, shoes, kitty food, stairs, dust bunnies, window blinds, refrigerators [see above]. It makes our days a little hectic, but fun. He is blowing through all the "milestones". Eight teeth and walking already???? Definitely exceeding all of our expectations. I think we can say with confidence that he is destined to be an overacheiver. He's walking like a pro now, but if he wants to get to a dirty shoe before Mama can catch him, he gets down on all fours and crawls at lightning speed. Anytime you try to take something away from him he lets out a blood curdling scream that, if it's any indication of future tantrums, makes me very nervous.

wrestling with Luke and Daddy--nightly ritual

ready for church--so precious!

using the force [with Master Luke's lightsaber]

brotherly love

chasing kitties

Sweet Alivia Rose

2008-04-04T20:37:00.004-05:00

We had a nice surprise visit today from Alivia (and Holly, of course!). Holly came to town to pick her mom up from the airport so they stopped in for a little visit. Carson remains enchanted by her and I think Luke thought she was pretty cute too! She has curls now, by the way...love it!

Carson Walks

2008-04-04T10:18:00.003-05:00

We knew it would happen any day now, but I've been saying that for two months. Carson took what was a "half-step" so I grabbed the camera and turned it on. The next time he tried it he walked across the room and, thankfully, I got it recorded! I was a little bit excited. Luke and Drew said we should have a party. I think they are right!

In a perfect world...

2008-04-02T09:16:00.002-05:00

See the message on the shirt. What kind of mother would make her children wear this??? Me. Maybe it will serve as a reminder and help me to not be such a pushover when it comes to these sweet boys. HA! They are so easy to spoil though!

How can I say no to a face like that???

And this little lovebug has found a way to weasle himself into our bed every night around 1am...

Happy Easter!

2008-03-27T08:59:00.004-05:00

We kept with tradition this year and visited the Botanical Gardens after church on Easter.

Notice what Todd calls the "mommy smile" plastered all over my face. It's what I do when I'm trying to smile while urging the children to smile and look at the camera...funny!

Boys on the bunny.

Lukie hears a Who. This flower looks just like the one with the speck from Horton Hears a Who. He REALLY wanted to pick it!

Poor Baby!

2008-03-08T18:54:00.004-06:00

Carson was diagnosed with a double ear infection last week and was prescribed Amoxycillin. He seemed to be doing better but on Thursday (day 7 of the medicine) he started getting a rash. Ronda and I thought that at first it looked like little bug bites all over him, but as the day went on it got worse and worse. The nurse finally called me back on Thursday afternoon and told us to stop the amoxycillin and bring him in on Friday afternoon. In case anyone needs to know, this is what an allergic reaction to pinicillin looks like (hives galore!)...

The rash is almost completely gone now, but it sure did make us nervous for a couple days. Parenthood is not for the weak!

Our Luke is Four

2008-03-08T18:37:00.005-06:00

Our smart, funny, fast, sweet boy turned four years old. He brings so much joy to our lives that it is hard to imagine what life was like before he was born. I found myself getting very emotional yesterday while preparing for his birthday party. I know it's cliche, but these past four years have flown by!
The festivities started on Thursday with a little birthday party at school. On Saturday Luke had his first soccer game and then the birthday party. Although he thought we were going to have another party on Sunday (the actual day of his birth) we just enjoyed the beautiful day and played with all his new toys! We were happy that Granni was here to celebrate with us!

Welcome Home Uncle Joe!

2008-02-21T11:53:00.006-06:00

Joe got back from Iraq Sunday afternoon and we were all there to greet him as he and Rocky (his dog) got off the plane. It was AWESOME! {You can click on the images to make them bigger}

Alivia, Dad, and Justin

Alivia & Papaw

Alivia, Mom, Me, and Carson

Luke and Uncle Justin being silly.

The babies.

Alivia and Holly...waiting patiently!

Luke and Carson

It was a long wait!

He's finally home!

Here is a video but I cannot figure out how to re-orient the picture so watch at your own risk and if you know how to fix it let me know!!!

Busy Boys

2008-02-21T11:08:00.003-06:00

Here is the latest video of Carson's expanding mobility. He and Luke were playing so well and I just had to capture the moment. Can a baby walk as early as 8 months?! I think we're going to find out.

Pledge of Allegiance

2008-02-10T11:50:00.000-06:00

Luke learns many things at school, but here is something he surprised me with. I am so proud of him. Thank you Mrs. Rockett!

Burger King Freakout

2008-02-05T09:42:00.000-06:00

Last Thursday was one of those afternoons where I place a call to Todd around 4:15 and ask how much longer until he gets home. There wasn't one thing in particular going wrong, I was just extra tired and the boys seemed extra needy. Some days are just like that. Some days I just freak out. Well, the last thing I was going to do was make dinner, so Burger King it was. We were all much happier after that.

Must Resist the Bunny Sweater

2008-02-05T09:18:00.000-06:00

I'm going to start posting things, I'm tempted to buy but am trying to resist. How cute would Baby C look in this outfit, but $68.00?!? Come on Pottery Barn Kids!!! I welcome any encouraging (I mean, discouraging) words!

Moving Right Along

2008-02-05T06:56:00.000-06:00

Carson is really starting to move now. Here is a video we took last night. Enjoy!

Favorite Things

2008-01-28T09:21:00.000-06:00

Here are a few of my favorite things from this past weekend.

A sleeping (& healthy) baby boy,

Happy children (& best friends),

and my husband doing the dishes (is there anything more attractive???)...

Luke's Pep Talk...Priceless

2008-01-24T19:01:00.000-06:00

A few weeks ago, Todd and Luke were looking up Peyton Manning's "priceless" pep talks on the Mastercard website. You can put in your name and "situation" and Peyton will deliver a personalized pep talk. Todd put in Luke's name and the situation was "I got a bad haircut". Luke thought it was hilarious and has been walking around giving pep talks since then. Here is an example...

If you need your own pep talk, you can either call and talk to Luke, or go to this website to let Peyton cheer you up: http://www.priceless.com/us/personal/en/extras/peptalks/index.html

Growing Up Too Fast

2008-01-24T08:46:00.000-06:00

Baby Carson is learning new tricks daily, but his newfound mobility is starting to make me a little nervous. Right now he can get anywhere he wants to go by rolling and pulling himself across the floor, but he's just learned to get up on all fours. The baby gates are coming out this weekend!

We also had to lower his crib mattress because he's dangerously close to pulling himself up. Here is what happens when we stand him in his bed:

Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled that he is active and strong! His newfound freedom just changes things dramatically around the house and sometimes change is SCARY! Since he's been able to sit up, though, bathtimes are much more fun!!!

Walking Snowman

2008-01-24T08:26:00.000-06:00

I added a new section to the blog called "lukespeak". It's where I will share some of the funny things that come out of Luke's mouth. Here is a picture to go with one of his quotes.

Walking Snowman

Counting my Blessings

2008-01-23T22:09:00.000-06:00

This post is a lot different than my others, but this is about something that has really touched me this week and has reminded me that every day with my sweet boys is truly a gift from God. Many of you probably know of or have heard me talk about the morning radio show, "Rick and Bubba", that I've been listening to for several years now. One of the hosts, Rick, just lost his two year old son this past Saturday. He drowned in the family pool. It is so tragic. It is truly amazing how the faith of that family is getting them through this tragedy. I pray that if I am ever faced with a similar situation that I will be able to trust God to see me through. Here are the videos of Rick speaking at his son's funeral on Tuesday. It's in three parts (about 10 minutes a piece). I would highly recommend you view them when you can. I know I'm glad that I took the time to hear what he had to say.
Part One
Part Two
Part Three

Snow Clouds

2008-01-23T21:28:00.000-06:00

Did someone say snow??? After we dropped Dad off at the airport on Friday Luke, Drew, Carson and I headed to the grocery store for bread and milk. It just seemed like the thing to do because there was a mention of snow that was to start at 4 am Saturday morning. This is the South ya'll and it just doesn't snow around here every day!!! In the meantime, Carson was starting to show signs of not feeling well so, just to be cautious, I scheduled a doctor's appointment for Friday afternoon. After all, what if we got snowed in with a sick baby on a holiday weekend...

After a very stressful afternoon at the doctor, Carson was diagnosed with his first ear infection. This diagnosis is especially ominous considering the battle Luke had with ear infections starting at 6 months old. Unfortunately, the ear infection was the least of our concerns because he also had a whopping fever of 103.6. Daddy had to be called in for reinforcements because the attempted blood draw nearly put Mama under the table, although somehow my precious baby was falling asleep while they were fishing the needle under his baby skin! Thank God for my wonderful neighbor Ronda. She watched Luke for me all afternoon and then had dinner ready for us when we got home. Don't know what I would do without her! Needless to say, we had several sleepless nights over the weekend, but the little guy is doing so much better now. He's also getting a tooth on top to go with his two on the bottom which didn't help with his comfort level. Funny thing about the new tooth...it isn't one of his top center teeth, it's kinda off to the left a little bit. Our little chomper may be renamed our little snaggle tooth pretty soon.

Luke woke up Saturday morning extremely disappointed that there was no snow. Here is the extent of our conversation:
Luke: Mama, it forgot to snow.
Me: Maybe it will snow a little bit later.
Luke: Maybe it will snow A LOT later.
And then, as he's looking out the window, he proceeds to say, "Those sure look like snow clouds". He was right, because an hour later we got some snow. It's a good thing it snowed because he was laying on our hardwood floors telling us he was making snow angels. I wanted to say, "no baby, those are just dust bunnies", but I digress...here is a little video of his snow angel:

Below are some other photos of LJ playing in the snow with his friends, doesn't he look happy! You should also check out Ronda's blog if you want to see a cute slideshow of everyone playing in the snow.

Papaw's Visit

2008-01-19T08:55:00.000-06:00

We sure have had a busy week. Dad came on Wednesday for a short visit. Papaw and Luke have such a great relationship. It's all about give and take--Papaw gives Luke everything he wants (and more) and Luke takes it. They stayed up late both nights he was here and watched movies. Carson got in on the action a little bit before I took him off to his own bed. I guess Luke is trying to catch up on sleep because he slept until 8am this morning instead of his usual 6:30am wake up time.

We saw Holly and Alivia Rose on Thursday. I call Carson the "busiest baby on the block" and Baby Livs the "sweetest baby on the block". She is so gentle and thoughtful...a real snuggler. The babies are so intrigued by each other. Luke, on the other hand, still does not see what all the fuss is about. It's really difficult to get him to sit by the babies long enough to get a picture. Also, he is less than thrilled to have to share his Papaw. Holly has their new apartment all fixed up for when Joe comes home from Iraq next month. We can't wait!

A Big Personality to Go with Those Big Blue Eyes

2008-01-14T08:56:00.000-06:00

Here is a picture of Carson swinging on our front porch.

He is really starting to show us his personality and likes/dislikes. From the picture, you can see he loves to swing.

Other favorites include:

Eating anything he can get into his mouth, including toys, paper, fingers...
His exersaucer
Taking a bath with big brother
Tags on blankets, clothing...

He does not like:

Eating his vegetables
Dirty diapers
Sitting still

Here is a shot where we were celebrating UK's basketball win on Saturday...GO BIG BLUE!!!

Oh yeah...he has two teeth now, and knows how to use them! Our little CHOMPER!

A hard day for LJ

2008-01-11T10:17:00.000-06:00

On Tuesday Luke was forced to do two of his least favorite things...go to the dentist and get a haircut. We were not looking forward to the dentist because he freaked out the last time and we had to reschedule. For this appointment, if he cooperated, he was promised new toys and a trip to McDonald's with best buddy Drew. It went much better than last time and as soon as we figured out he hated the gritty toothpaste "that crunches" [his teeth] it was fine. The haircut was filled with drama, but the end result was good. Just to prove he survived the day, here is a video of him on Tuesday evening...

Another adventure at Portrait Innovations

2008-01-09T22:00:00.000-06:00

When Carson was one week old, I decided I had to have professional pictures of the boys. It was one of my first outings alone with both boys and we went to portrait innovations. The results were not stellar. Luke wanted nothing to do with the new baby so it was hard to get him near enough to Carson to take a picture and Carson was fussy and way too young to take a good photo. In fact, Grandma calls the resulting photo the "Carson's gotta poop" picture and Grandpa said he looked like Don Rickles...whoever that is!

Well, I think our second trip for pictures went a lot better, but it was still exhausting. Here are some of my favorites...

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