Christmas 2013

Hey guys!  Christmas was a huge success for our families.  Carter got SO much.  It's pretty overwhelming.  He had a great time opening his gifts and tried to open everyone else's.  Everyone had a pretty good idea of what he likes because he got loads of planes, trains, and trucks.  He's really getting into learning how to draw his letters so he got something huge to draw one and a leap pad 2 that he loves.  I don't have many pictures but I did film every single bit of it. 

Carter was such a good boy the entire time.  He's usually not a fan of crowds but they do not bother him in the least now.  He also went yesterday without a nap and ended up going to sleep at 9:30 and slept all night.  I'm thinking that may be something I try out for a little bit....NO NAPS!  When he gets a nap in he WILL NOT fall asleep any earlier than 10:30 or 11:00 and then it's hard to wake him up in the mornings.  We'll see how that goes and we'll see what Mrs. Lisa has to say about that :)

I got some great things too.  I got home boots, shoes, money, jewelry, clothes, cookbook, socks and makeup.  My Nana also got me this cool touchpad game.  I can't put it down.  Nick got a new hunting jacket, money, deer target.  Well, actually the touchpad game was actually for him but I stole it.   What's mine is his right?

My house it like WHOA!  I don't even recognize it when I walk in.  I usually keep a somewhat picked up and clean house. (as clean as it can get with a 2 year old minus all my clothes slung everywhere in my spare bedroom.)  Toys are taking over our house.  It's time to go through and clean out baby stuff that he does not even look at anymore and put up in storage.  We have trains every where we look!!  But he does play with all of those.

So, anyways, I'm ready to get this new year started.  I know I am getting pretty annoying with all of the workout and Beachbody posts but I have finally found something that I am very passionate about and I am so excited to spread this to all of you.  Getting fit, happy, and energized is what this has done for me.  Yes, I do make money but if I never made a dime off of any of this, I would still be using these programs because of what it has done for me and my family. 

Why did I start doing this?  I had to.  I was just getting to where I was no longer happy with who I was.  I was letting small stuff get to me, I was holding grudges for no reason at all, and I just didn't have the "want to" to do anything!!  The truth about it was that I just was not happy with  myself.  I didn't like the way I looked, I didn't want to go shopping because I knew nothing would fit me anyways, I was addicted to junk food--which only made me more miserable-- and I didn't have the energy to even do much with my Carter. 

So, now I am seeing results, I'm gaining confidence, I'm fitting in jeans from high school and I'm just an overall happier person.  My husband has even commented on how much better my attitude is.  Not only am I bettering myself, I am bettering my family.  I am finally sleeping soundly at night without so much dang stress on me.  It's a wonderful feeling.  I am not near where I want to be, but going in the right direction is such an awesome feeling.

No time you say?  I work a full time job, have a 2 year old, a house to clean, dinner to cook every single night and I still find a way to fit in my 30 minute workout.  Yes, it takes time management, which has never been a strong point for me, but I am getting better every single day.

Can't afford it?  Well let's find a way to afford it.  It's worth it.  I didn't think I could afford it either, but there's always a way if you look hard enough.

Yes, making money is a perk, and I am more than willing to share with you what I do, how much I make, and give you the same opportunity that I have.  It is a LIFE CHANGER!! 

So, let's make 2014 a good one.  Go here :www.beachbodycoach.com/CATREEVES13 and sign up on my page.  Just click Join after you go to that link.  It's completely free.  Look around, do your research, and see for yourself what awesome products there are out there.

Talk to me!  Let me know what issues you are having with your body.  Let me help you.

Thanks!

Two Day Getaway

The hubs and I decided to go on a little getaway Monday afternoon.  We pawned the monster off on my parents and headed to Shreveport where we stayed on the Boardwalk.  Two full days and nights without Carter.  It was weird, but nice.  We had awesome food, watched great movies on IMAX, and did some shopping.  We initially went do get our Christmas shopping done, but prices are awful and I just couldn't bring myself to spend what they were asking for...for like everything!  I bought my mom's Christmas present and got Carter some nice clothes....sweater vests, button ups, and cute, regular sweaters.  Carter is most definitely my best accomplishment but also my biggest weakness!  All in all we had a good time.  Our last fun getaway was August 2010 so it's nice to do that once every three years! 

I know we were only gone for two days but I swear Carter has grown 2 inches and has gained a whole spectrum of vocabulary.  He is learning things like crazy!  He is learning to write!  He can draw an A, O, and he so close to drawing a B.  His little imagination is taking off too.  He loves to scribble then tell me what he draws.  Last night he "drew" an octopus for me.  He's so much fun!  When we are home we don't even watch cartoons anymore.  He would much rather play with his new train set or learn on his leap pad.  I'm much happier with that!

If he ever grows with the amount of food he eats, he's going to be a big boy!  He eats more than me.  No, seriously.  I don't know how he is so small.

It's nice to be back on my normal schedule.  I missed my workouts.  I gotta be honest, there for a little while I was in a rut and was not seeing any results.  I FINALLY found something that works for me.  It's so nice to see such great results in a small amount of time.  I'm not where I want to be but I'm headed in the right direction.  Please feel free to get a hold of me and I'll let you know!  It's something that works for me and I plan to continue for the rest of my life. 

Exciting News

The most exciting thing that I can say about myself is that I cut 2 inches off my hair.  Pretty sad, huh?  Well, that's not true...I take that back!  I actually started drinking this honey and cinnamon concoction twice a day that my friend Lee told me about.  It makes me feel amazing and energized.  If you want the exact measurements then just message me, it won't disappoint. 

I also go to go meet my brand new nephew, Ryker.  He's precious and looks just like big brother.  If he ever grows into his big hands and feet then he is going to make big brother and cousin Carter look like midgets.  They better start sucking up now.

I have really been missing my best friends here lately.  I mean, I always miss them, but I really really miss them right now.  It bites that I can't just pick up and go see them.  Keatha lives in Oklahoma: 5 hours away.  Holli lives in Dallas: 4 hours away.  Toshya lives in Ohio: at least 15 hours away.  Britni lives in Warren: 2 1/2 hours away.  Kari, who just got married, lives in Canada: several plane rides away.  Tonya and Elizabeth lives in....oh that's right, Nashville....We need to work on that!!  There is so much going all with all of them it seems and I am missing it all.  Any donations to pay for my way to go see them all is welcomed and appreciated.

Carter's wonderful.  He's at a very fun age.  Learning new phrases every. single. day!  I give him a month or two and he will be saying full on sentences.  He just talks constantly when he is at home.  It took him a little longer, but he is finally about to get caught up with where he needs to be with his speech.  Like any other toddler, he hates when I say no....to anything.  Homeboy has an attitude.  We're working on that.

He's still so smart.  He can count to 40.  If I give him the first 2 letters of his name he can finish spelling it out.  He is having a lot harder time with his colors than he did with letters and numbers, but I think he is about to get them.  Blue is by far his favorite color.  He knows most of his shapes.  He says "please" after he asks me to do something for him....it's so sweet!!  We are now working on "yes mam".

Bedtime is a fight every night.  He just don't want to go to bed.  He wants to stay up and play.  He's so silly!

Anyways, nothing exciting, I know.  But that's all I have for ya. 

Scrapper Football

We took Carter to his first football game of the year last night.  He LOVED it!!  He loved seeing all of the balloons go into the air.  He kept saying, "Where balloons go?  In the clouds?".  He also loved all the big football players.  During warm-up, he kept trying to run out on the field with them.  He got so upset when we wouldn't let him.  I'm pretty sure, though, that the popcorn was his favorite part.  He sat with my mom during most of the game, which I'm sure was another favorite part for him.  I'm pretty sure he loves her more than he loves me and Nick.  He gave lots of hugs to people he didn't even know, which is very rare.  I was proud of him.

One problem though.  After we were there for about an hour he told us that he needed to pee pee.  So I took him into the bathroom and he wouldn't use the big toilet.  I then tried to just let him pee in the grass in a corner outside and he wouldn't do that either.  He wanted his little potty at home.  It's not like that thing can fit in his back pack or anything.  Since I had a pull up on him, we went ahead and stayed at the game for another 2 hours.  He wouldn't use his pull up (since he never wears a pull up, I think it made him very uncomfortable).  So he finally got that panicked look in his eyes that he REALLY needed to go so we left the game early.  Right when we got home he sprinted to his potty and went.  Safe to say that he is fully potty trained....but only on his little potty.  Any suggestions on how to the make the transition easier from little potty to the big one would be greatly appreciated.  We won't be able to go anywhere without lugging the little potty around unless he gets this down.

Here's a good little story.  Nick and I always joke with each other about who Carter loves more.  Two nights ago, I asked Nick to put Carter to bed for me because I was exhausted and just wanted to go to bed early.  So, Nick took him back to his room and the next thing I know Carter came running back into the living room crying.  I asked Nick what was wrong with him and it nearly killed him to tell me that Carter said I. WANT. MOM!!  Mom-1 Dad-0.  I put him down with a big smile on my face.

AD and I have become real pathetic and lazy here lately on our workouts.  But, come Monday we are going back at it.  We made a deal not to cancel anymore unless we absolutely had to.

I'm hoping that by the next blog, I can tell you all about the new babies coming into the world.  Can't wait to meet them!!  Janice, Abbie, and Keatha......love ya'll.  HANG IN THERE!!  Praying for 3 healthy babies.

Goodbye Summer

Well, its officially fall.  I know most of you won't agree but I hate it!!  Summer didn't last near long enough for me.  I have to say that besides having his tonsils removed, Carter had an awesome summer.  He loved swimming and playing on the slip n slide at Mia's house.  He loved going on his evening rides on the ranger with Daddy every day.  He loved riding in his jogging stroller with me every now and then and he will for sure miss riding the lawn mower with Grumps.  But most of all, I think he will miss ramping in the golf cart with Mia, playing in his mud puddles and piddling around the pond.

On a better note...

I am excited to tell you that Carter has been diaper free, except at bedtime, for 2 weeks.  He is completely potty trained at home.  He has not had an accident at home for nearly a week now.  He does have the occasional accident other places.  He had one yesterday at Nick's parents house and he told them that he was sorry.  How sweet is that?  I have made a point to never get on to him when he does have one.  I just say, "That's ok, Carter.  Next time can you go in the potty, please?"

The whole process was nerve racking, messy, and frustrating.  He did pick it up a lot quicker than I expected, which made me so proud of him. I do have to say that he looks so cute in his undies.

He is talking more and more every day and he is so much happier now that he can tell us what he wants.  He is starting to get a tad bossy... yesterday he told me to pick up his toys.  When I don't do something that he wants RIGHT THEN he says, "tic toc".  Where in the world did he come up with that???  When I ask him a question, instead of saying yes, he says "otay".  He calls me mom and Nick dad.  He completely skipped the whole mommy and daddy phase.  Weird.  It is still crazy for me to hear him talk to me.  Love it!!  He is still loving his "school time" that we have at home.  He can't get enough of letters, numbers, shapes, colors, and puzzles.  We are working on sight words also.

I'm afraid that Nick and I don't have a ball player on our hands.  He couldn't care less about a bat and ball.  He actually takes his bat that he has at home and lines it up behind his trucks like a trailer.  Trucks, airplanes, and tractors are his go to toys.  We are okay with that.  With all the surgeries that ball playing got us, we are not so sure it's worth it.  Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to watch him play sports, but if he don't want to, we're definitely not going to make him.  My nephew, Warren, on the other hand, could play t-ball tomorrow and be awesome. He's pretty talented for a 3 year old.

He can say his first bible verse: "God loved us, he sent his son".  He says it all the time.  That makes my heart smile.

Last night was the second night in a row that he slept in his bed all night.  Ummm....stop growing up please!!??

Life

Hey!  Just wanted to drop in and say that we are alive and well.  Nick is doing his working and golfing thing every week.  Me?  I am doing my non-workout/non-motivated/eating everything in sight thing.....and I'm pretty good at it.  Never in my non pregnant life have I ever been as big as I am right now.  It's frustrating and I need to do lots of soul searching to get my mind right again.  Have you even been to that point where you try on clothes after clothes after clothes from your closet and nothing fits...and then that's your breaking point that you need to seriously do something?  Well I'm there.  Give me a couple days and I will set some goals for myself. 

AAAAnyways...

Since I have been working more here lately, I have not been the housekeeper that my clean house phobia personality wants me to be.  So, I stayed up til midnight cleaning house...dusting, laundry (that was A JOB!), dishes, floors, bathrooms....the usual.  A mother's work seriously never ends.  It is so frustrating and heart warming all at the same time (but mostly frustrating).

I'm sure you know how Carter is since I post on Facebook every time he does something that I think is amazing--which don't take much.  You probably have realized that I am a little tiny bit obsessed with him.  But In case you need a run down, I am more than happy to do that for you.

He's so smart.  Like, shocking my socks off every day.  He knows all of his ABC's by heart and by letter recognition.  He also knows all of their sounds which is why his speech therapist said he will be an excellent reader.  If we want to get anything done or for him to work on something else, like a puzzle, we have to hide the ABC stuff.  He loves it that much.  He can count to 12.  He knows most of his shapes and only a few colors.  As long as he has learning activities in front of him he couldn't care less about the TV.  AND he is up to about 70-80 words consistently and repeating LIKE CRAZY!!!  No sentences or anything, but a couple 2 word phrases.  Now, that's coming a long way in a very short time.  I'm beyond proud of him. 

He started going to church on Wednesday night and he loves it.  It's so awesome to hear him say church and God.  I'm very pumped about that one.

He has gone to two movies in the theaters and did great.  Watched the entire movie both times.  That's a pretty good attention span for a 28 month old.

Mark my words...Carter will be completely potty trained after next weekend.  He's ready.  We have to get passed Uncle Keller's wedding and then we are going all in.

All in all,  he's a good kid.  He don't get into anything he is not supposed to.  He listens very well.  We do have to deal with the occasional attitude but it's never anything that a serious look can't fix.  No tempter tantrums in a very long time.

He's happy.  I'm happy.  This is a wonderful life that I live.  Thank you God!

Tonsils

What a week my little family and I have had!!  Last Friday my mom and I took Carter to the ENT doctor because his breathing was not so great, especially at night.  He was having severe sleep apnea where he pretty much quit breathing for moments at a time and it would always wake him up gasping for air and scared the daylights out of me and Nick.  Anyways, long story short, the doctor said his tonsils are huge and that he thinks they should come out ASAP.  So before the day was over we scheduled Carter for his third and biggest surgery. 

Thursday rolled around and we had to be at St. Michael's hospital at 6 A.M.  They wheeled him back and 20 minutes later they were done.  So much easier than what we expected.  We dreaded it all week.  We had prepared ourselves for Carter to be very needy, cranky, not eat, not drink, and pretty much just want us the entire time.  About an hour after his surgery.......

 

.....As you can see he proved us wrong from the get go.  We had to make him lay down and rest some.  We were told that it's the second and third day that will be the hardest for him and that he will only eat popsicles and ice cream for a week and not to be shocked if he lost about 4-5 pounds.  Once again he proved us and the doctors wrong.  In between naps all he has done is play play play and he has not eaten as much as he usually eats but he has eaten real food from the get go.  He has eaten 6 breakfast burritos, lots and lots of steamed veggies and meat, drank lots of whole milk, and about 12 popsicles.  Safe to say that my boy is a trooper.  He has kicked this surgery in the face and I am so proud of him!!! 

 

St. Michael's pediatrics has it going on!! We had awesome nurses the entire time and they had every Disney DVD he could watch and an awesome playroom.  If anything, Carter had fun!!

 

I am not sure if his big tonsils kept him from talking as much as he wanted, but since they have been gone, Carter has really started communicating.  He still has a ways to go to get where he needs to be but he is making drastic improvements really fast.  He loves for me to quiz him on his letters and numbers.  He loves to scribble (finally).  He is becoming interested in his shapes, also.  He is starting to become very creative with blocks and building things. You can name any animal to him and he will make the sound that they make.  He is OBSESSED with building tents.  Every time he sees a bed sheet he asks me to build him a tent (thanks Mia, for showing him that).  In three days, I bet Nick and I have built 25 tents.  Nick has also introduced him to golf (oh boy) and he loves it.  They hit golf balls in the house constantly.  So many of my prayers are being answered.  Potty training may be closer than I think.

 

I am starting to buy winter stuff for the lil man.  I bought my first order last week.  It is right around the corner and I don't want to have to buy all at once.  My bank account don't like that too much.

 

Anywho, that's our life as of lately.  Have a great day!





Shopping Issues

Shopping with Carter is becoming a problem. He thinks every toy is his and that he is supposed to take one home from every store we go to. Friday, Mom and I went into Kohls and oddly Carter knew right where the toys were so that's where he headed. 

This is the series of events that occurred.

1. He looked very carefully and picked out the biggest and most expensive truck they had 

2. He would not let us touch it because he thought I was going to make him put it up. So he held on to it for dear life.

3. He had to sit with it in the car... There was no separating him from this thing.

4. Cling to 18 wheeler issues only got worse when we got home.

Little guy will have a very hard lesson here pretty soon when I have to tell him be can't take every toy home that he wants.

 

 

 

 

 

Potty Training 101

When there is something that I have absolutely no clue about (when it comes to being mother) I do lots of research and ask other moms lots of questions.  Dang, there is a lot of methods to potty training.  I don't like that.  I am a black and white kinda girl.  I like "this is the only thing that will work, so do that".  Lucky me, potty training is nothing like that.  There is the bribery method, which I'm not so into.  Bribery is just not my parenting ways, so I don't want to start with this.  Of course if that's the only thing that will end up working, that's what I'll do.  There is easing into it method, which seems like that would just be a longer process.  And of course, there is the go all out without looking back method.  There is also all the other minor ones like letting him "water trees" outside and hitting the bulls eye in the middle of the potty.  I'm afraid if I let him water too many trees, Carter will be the little boy that will only go outside(even in public) and I'm not so fond of that idea either.

So I have decided to go with the go all in and don't look back method.  But the trick for this one to be successful and that Carter has to be 100% ready and willing.  I don't think we are quite there yet.  I let him run naked yesterday for a very long time and he did pee in the potty 2 times but it was when I saw he was about to go and I rushed him to the potty and set him down myself.  He is not letting me know when he needs to go and honestly, I am not sure he knows when he is about to go yet.  He will bring us diapers or try to take his off AFTER he goes, but that's it.  So he is showing a tiny bit of readiness but I think we are still a couple months away from going all in.  He knows what the potty is and he likes to sit on it and that's about it--but it's a start.  So for now, we are going to watch Daddy and keep his attention on it.  Then when he starts letting me know he needs to go...then BAM we are going all in.  I just think I am more ready than he is right now, and that's okay.  I know he won't go to college in diapers.



Nick and I had a very fun weekend!  We went with our good friends AD and Jeremy Pickett and floated Mountain Fork Saturday and it was fun!  The water felt awesome.  We both flipped our canoes but it would not be a successful float trip without doing that.  AD lost a shoe and Nick lost his hat that he has worn for about 5 years (I thought he was going to cry) but all in all it was a lot of fun.  We will for sure be going back.  I highly recommend Roma Italian Restaurant in DeQueen.  It was really really good!!  Someone needs to open one in Nashville.  Nick and I alone would keep you open.  It's very rare that Nick and I spend an entire weekend together.  We missed Carter so much but it was such a nice change.  Thanks to my parents for letting me off and working my shifts.

Summer

I have gotten a couple messages asking where in the world my blogs are.  Sorry, but I have not posted anything in a couple of weeks.  Nothing has really happened and I know you guys probably get sick of reading the same ol' stuff about Carter every time I blog.  But thanks for making me feel like my life is interesting enough to read about.

Where to start....

Carter loves the water.  Whether it's a mud puddle, pool, slip n slide, or at the water park he is in love.  We will be making lots of trips to the Diamond Mine water park and to my parent's pool this summer.

Carter is not sleeping well and is acting like his airway is being blocked again by adenoids.  He wakes up in a panic several times a night gasping for air.  So yeah, I am making him an appointment with the ENT doctor right when they open this morning.  As you probably remember, he has had them removed once already and they said there was a chance that they could grow back.  Poor little guy can't catch a break.

He is still chatting away.  His new favorite things to say, as of yesterday, is "Oh no!!" and "ooops" when he falls on purpose or accidentally drops something.  When he runs or plays trucks he also likes to yell "zooooom!!".  I have decided to take him out of speech therapy for now.  If he stops talking or goes backwards in his little speech journey then I will take him back, but I just don't think there is any need right now.  I think he should just be diagnosed with, "Stubborn like his Daddy Syndrome".

Nick and I played softball all day Saturday.  Nick came out of a 6 year retirement and he did awesome.  He pitched for the first time ever and only walked one batter all day.  He also hit really well.  I was so proud and had a blast playing with him.  We are both feeling our age and walking gingerly days after, though.  We can honestly say that we have made lots of new friends with this team.  I'm sad that our league is about to be over for the summer.

Well, that's all I got for today.  Adios!

Update

I have not been in the blogging mood lately so I have decided to drop in and give you just a little update. 

My little family and I are doing great.  Carter is still the most spoiled kid on the planet.  If he does not ride something (lawn mower, 4-wheeler, golf cart, ranger, tractor, ect) every single day, several times, then his day is not complete.  If he is not outside at least 50% of his day, then he is for sure letting us know how sorry we are.

MAJOR UPDATE: Carter is up to about 24-27 words.  Nick and I decided to put his words on paper and try to keep up because we are so proud.  If you don't want to know what they are, then just skim on down, but I have to tell you because I am so pumped that he is finally talking.
***Cat, dog, car, cup, truck, hot dog (too much mickey mouse), duck, juice, tractor, two, shoes, socks, star, ship, hot, chic, stop, go, clap, choo choo, peach, chip, outside, jump.  He can also point out several letters in the alphabet and say them***
He still does not just talk our heads off, though.  We usually have to ask him what things are in order for him to tell us, but that is such an improvement.  He is now learning about 2 words a week.

Two big things are happening this week for little man.  First, he has his first swimming lessons starting Monday.  The kid LOVES the pool.  I have a feeling we are going to be spending lots of time in my parent's pool this summer. Second, he just could not shake off his double ear infections so we have decided to go ahead and give him tubes Wednesday morning.  We are only hoping that it speeds up his speech process even faster.

I spend most of my time trying to convince Carter that I am just as cool as Daddy.  When Nick is around he don't give me the time of day.  I have even reached the desperate stage where I am bribing him.  It's starting to get pathetic.  Nick does not eat it up nor does he rub it in my face, of course.

Carter's new favorite snack is beef jerky.  What a little man!!  I'm not too thrilled since it's not just the healthiest snack, but at least it's good protein.  If that won't bulk him up, nothing will.

Nick and I are doing great!!  We do lots of things away from each other since we have different hobbies but it makes the time that we do spend together just that much better.  I sure do love that guy.  He's not perfect, but he is perfect for me.

I think we get asked at least 10 times per week when we are having another baby.  THANK GOD we both agree that Carter is more than enough right now.  To answer everyone's question--IF we have another one, we will start thinking about it when Carter is 4 or 5.  That will put me at 28 years old and Nick at 33...so we got time.  We sure are enjoying our hobbies and time with Carter right now.  We are perfectly content knowing that we can love on our new nephew that's on the way and my friend's new babies!

Anyways, I know I have rambled enough so I'll end it here.  Thanks for reading!  Sorry for the lack of pictures. 

What A Day

My day started at 3 a.m. when Nick woke me up in terrrrrrible pain. Like..... I thought he was going to die and so did he. At one point be was in the fetal position in the floor because he was hurting so bad. Log story short.... We ended up in the ER at 5:30 with kidney stones. They gave him some good medicine and sent him home around 8:15. I left from there and had to rush around so I could be in Texarkana at 10:30 for Carter's speech therapy.  Then we went to the mall and let Carter run around and play and we did a little

Shopping.

The patient is doing lots better. Still feels pressure and some pain but nothing like it was.

Moving on to Carter. The light bulb has come on!!! He is improving at lightning speed with EVERYTHING! He is talking lots more, running faster, eating like a pig, and just overall the happiest little boy that I have ever seen. Laughs and smiling constantly. He is starting to repeat words and actions and saying some letters and numbers when he sees them. I just love seeing him thrive.

He is also getting bigger! Lots bigger. Wearing 2T shorts, some 3T shirts, size 8 shoe. And I don't know how much he weighs but it's heavy!  Pretty sure we have a mini Nick on our hands.

I plan to have an amazing, relaxing weekend with my boy! Until next time...

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mud Puddles

Carter has decided that he loves mud puddles.  This just came on all of a sudden and it came in phases.

PHASE 1:  Spotting the puddle.

 

PHASE 2: Testing the temperature.

 

 

PHASE 3: Bravery.

 

PHASE 4:   Going in for the kill.

 

PHASE 5: Going all out.

 

 

PHASE 6: Bath time/fun has to come to an end.

 

 

 

PHASE 7: Denial.  Every mud puddle is made for me.  Even when it's the next day and Mom has put my good clothes and shoes on.

 

 

The life of raising a little boy!

 

 

 

 

Tired

This momma is whooped.  AD and I left the house yesterday at 7:45 a.m. to head to Magnolia to play in a softball tournament.  We have not played in a tournament since last summer and I have forgotten how exhausting it is.  Outside in the hot hot hot sun all day (that had to give me 3rd degree burns on my face, arms, and legs) sweating, and constantly on my feet.  It's also hitting home that I can't move like I used to.  Getting older is terrible.  I had so much fun, but that was a very long day.  We got 3rd place out of 16 teams. WHOOP WHOOP!!  We finally made it back to Nashville around 12:15 a.m., I got in bed at 1:30 then had to be up at 5:00 to come to work.

We have joined a co-ed softball league in Hot Springs where we play 2 games every Wednesday night.  I can handle two games in a week....but 5-6 games in a day??  Crazy.

Big huge shout out to my parents!!  Dad covered my night shift last night and mom kept Carter so I could go play and have a good time.  They are the best!  I know my mom is tired.  She took both of her two year old grandsons to a birthday party and baby shower.  She's a trooper.

I'm ready for 2:00 so I can spend the rest of the day with my boy.  COME ON 2!!!

Also, celebrating my Nana's 72nd birthday tonight.  If only I could be as active as her at 72!  That's my wish.  She's nothing short of an amazing woman.  I have said it 100 times and I will say it again.  She is my definition of a hero, and she is most definitely mine.  Love her.

Blessed

This is what my child usually looks like the majority if his day. He has been eating like I don't feed him. Ever. Ether he is hitting a really really big growth spurt or he is going to have an appetite like his dad.  Feeding them both will be pretty dang expensive one day if he keeps this up.

Double ear infection has not slowed him down in the slightest.

I love my handsome little guy more than life!!

 

 

 

Speech Therapy

We went to have Carter's hearing test and speech evaluation Tuesday.  He was really not a fan of them sticking something inside his ears but he did survive it and his hearing is perfect.  He really liked the speech therapist that worked with him.  She said that he was in the 15-17 month range for speech, so not just too far behind.  The little stinker said every word he knew and she counted about 12-15 words.  I was so proud of him.  She said that the type of words he was saying were the sounds that kids usually have the most trouble with and the words that he is not saying are the words that usually come first.  Only my child.  He is having trouble with "pucker" words (momma, papa, ball, moo).  She seems to think that she can help him get his words out and hope it won't take him too long to catch up.  She didn't even bother with a comprehension evaluation becuase it was clear he understood all commands and knew what we were saying.  So, we are going to speech therapy every Friday morning until he is all caught up.  She must be made of magic, because since he has seen her he has been jabbering away.

I picked him up yesterday from Mrs. Lisa's and she said he was fine most of the day until the very end.  He wanted in her lap.  Right when I got him home he started running a high fever and acted like he didn't feel good at all.  Anyways, long story short.....we went to the doctor and we have a double ear infection.  Her exact words were "both ears look wretched".  He has had 4 ear infections in 2 years and 2 of them are in a matter of 3 weeks. 

So, yeah.  Fun times.

Warrior Dash and Mother's Day

AD and I ran in the Warrior Dash yesterday.  It. Was. Hard.  A heck of a whole lot harder than last year's.  There was a lot more up hill and yeah.....we almost didn't make it.  We did do some walking up some of the huge hills but I bet only a handful of people didn't.  We beat our time from last year, which was our goal.  It was a ton of fun and I am proud of us.  Being able to roll around in mud as an adult is awesome. The only thing missing was my Toshya. 

 

We have two more 5k's this month so there are no breaks for us!!  Back at it Monday.

 

It's Mother's Day and I am feeling extra blessed.  I have a great mom and I get to be a mom to such a handsome and great kid.  Seriously, who couldn't love this precious face?

 

 

And guess who all of a sudden (in the last 2 days) has decided to start talking?  No sentences or a whole lot more words, but saying words on command.  If he sees something that he knows how to say, he will say it without me asking him to.  Just this week alone he has learned two more words (ship and flag).  It is so nice to hear his voice and watch him become more confident.  Just a week ago he would try to run from me if I asked him to say something and now he is saying words every time I ask him to.  I think it's just God's way of saying, "I got this, just enjoy him and stop worrying".  He does still have his hearing test and speech evaluation Tuesday, but I'm very confident that he will just keep improving quickly.

 

Happy Mother's Day to all you mother's out there.  Today is a special day!  I can't wait to get off work so I can spend the day with my mom and a little boy that made me a mother!

 

 





 





Oklahoma

A couple weeks ago Nick came up to me one night and asked if I wanted to go to Oklahoma to see Keatha, Matt, and Kade.  I didn't even let him get his whole sentence out before I was yelling "yes!!!".  So right then I text Keatha and asked if we could come down for a visit for about 3-4 days and her reply was "yes!!!".  I think we were a little excited!

We had the best time.  Nick and I have really been wanting to get away for a little while and that was the perfect mini-vaca.  We did all of our favorite things with our kids......ate terrible, hung out, and watched way too much tv.  We are good parents.

We also went fishing

 



 Let it be known that Keatha caught the FIRST fish and the BIGGEST fish in the FIRST pond so even though she caught 3 fish and Nick caught 15....she won.

Kade loved touching the fish.  Can't anything scare that kid.  My child, on the other hand, was perfectly content looking from afar.

 

They shared snacks and hugged....sometimes.

 

We also took them to the aquarium, which they loved!

 

I have to say, for two boys that are neck deep in the terrible two stage, they did really awesome.  My child didn't want to take a nap nor did he eat good the whole time we were there but he listened for the most part and was nice.

 

Neither boy was just a huge fan of sharing, but what kid is???

 

 

Ear Infection

So, as you may know Carter ran fever for about three days.  It was never really high...101 most of the time.  So, we just thought it was either from his shot or his back tooth his doctor said he had coming in, and he never does good with either of those.  He was still eating great, drinking great, and he never once acted "sick".  By yesterday, day three, I had started to feel like a really crappy mom for just loading him up with Tylenol and Motrin only to have his fever come back.  So we went to the doctor...a new doctor I might add.  We loved his other doctor, but hated the billing system that came with that building.  Anyways, we went to Carter's doctor's wife in Ashdown and she is sooooo amazing!!  Love her!  It took her two seconds to look in his ears to see that his right ear was badly infected and his left one was not far from it.  Poor Carter!!!

BUT!!  She also said that she did see lots of fluid in his ears...hence the no talking.  If you can't hear all that well, you are not learning how to talk all that well!  So she said after his hearing test and his speech evaluation, we may be looking to get tubes.  So now I find myself yelling at him like an idiot.

On a side note....make this:

I dare you!

 

I can't remember if I saw this on Facebook or on Pinterest but I can tell you that it is now one of our favorite meals and it is so stupid easy (which is the only way I cook)!!

 

Green beans-Canned, fresh, or frozen.  I used canned because I was too lazy to walk into the other room to our freezer.  I know my fresh ones would have had more taste..maybe next time.

Chicken or pork chops-I used pork chops.  We are sick of chicken.

Potatoes- I used the small red ones since they are easier to cut up.

1 Packet of Dry Italian dressing mix.

About 4-5 spoons of butter.  I probably used more :)

 

All you do is arrange the food like you see in the picture, sprinkle packet of Italian dressing mix, and spoon butter on top of it all.  Don't cover.  Place in 350 oven for one hour and dinner is done! I'm sure it would work in crock pot just as well and I bet ranch dressing mix would be amazing also!  Easy peasy lemon squeezy.

 

Nick really liked it and Carter probably ate more than any 2 year old should.

 

I'll be looking for feedback on your meal ;)

 

 

I have really been trying to cook at home every night--I got off of it there for a couple weeks.  It just seems that it is the perfect ending to our day.  I can tell that Carter is a lot  happier when we eat at home (and he eats better) and Nick enjoys it too.  Plus, it's healthier.

 

2 Year Checkup

Carter had a great birthday party. All if his best friends and cousins came. We also lucked out and had a bouncy house there that we had not even planned on having. That was a hit!!  He didn't eat a bite of cake, but that's ok. Also, we asked for no presents, because the kid has way too many, and everyone that came to the party brought one. Carter is so loved!!!

Carter's 2 year appointment was Monday.

Stats:
Weight- 27 pounds 1.5 oz- 35%
Length- 34.5 in -65%
Head- 19 1/4 in -55%

He was so happy at the rate he is growing and gaining weight, so he gave him the green light for 2% milk.

He was not so happy with his speech though. He did say that he should be saying more words. He only has a handful of words he says consistently and it should be at least 50. So may 14 we are going to give him a speech evaluation to see if he needs a little speech therapy and get his hearing checked. He did mention how smart he is and that his understanding is great, he just might need a little help getting the words to come out. No biggie. If you get a chance, please pray that Carter's vocabulary will broaden so I will stop worrying!! Thanks!

He did get a mean shot and since then he has been running running fever since then. So I am at home taking care of a very cranky and needy boy. All he wants to do is bring me books to read to him and cuddle. I'm not complaining though!!

I hope everyone has a great day!!!

2 Years Old

Carter's birthday is tomorrow but I will probably be busy with his party stuff, so I'll go ahead and post this today. 

 

 

Two years already...wow.  EVERYONE has tried to warn me that they grow up fast, but dang.  I have wondered for a very long time what it would be like to have a 2 year old.  It seems weird even typing it, let alone accepting it.  Do I really have a boy that big?  Is it possible that I have a boy big enough to tell me, somehow, the things that he wants and how he feels?  Is he old enough to play in his playroom all by himself reading books and putting puzzles together......without me helping him?  Is he seriously big enough to feed himself with utensils with no help whatsoever?  I won't even get into the fact that he is learning his letters and numbers, because surely it's not time for that yet.  Surely he is still my baby that's not getting any older and more independent.  Right?

 

 

Richard Carter,

First, you make the terrible two stage seem pretty awesome.  I know we are just in the very very beginning stage of it but I know you, and you will stay awesome.  Even though you are starting to test your boundaries with us, you are still such a sweet kid.  Sometimes we have to use a very stern voice or pop your little booty for you to listen to us, but we know its just you opening up your curiosity side. 

Your daddy and I have really tried hard to enjoy and embrace every minute of your life that we can.  When we are with you, you are our center of attention and our whole entire world. 

There have been big changes with you after your first birthday.  I gotta admit, your first year of life was no easy one with all the sickness, doctor visits, and sleepless nights.  But since we have had your adenoids taken out, you have been nothing but perfect!  We have not been to the doctor for a sick visit in about 6 months, where before it was every other week.  You were such a trooper through it all and I will forever be grateful for that.

Thank you for loving me and your daddy as much as you do.  And thank you for loving life in general.  You are still my little miracle and proof that God does make wonderful, beautiful things.

 

You:

 

-You still sleep in your own bed in your room from 9:00 until about 4:30, then you come running and reaching up to get in bed with us.  We are all to happy to let you up with us.  You usually wake up for good around 8:15.

-You take care of your trucks, cars, 4-wheelers, ect better than we do our own vehicles.  You still love yelling truck every time you see one.

-Puzzles, letters, and numbers are still your all time favorite things to learn. 

-We are about 99.5% sure you are left handed.  You eat left handed, when you draw (which is very rare) you use your left hand, and when you throw a ball or rock its with your left hand every time.   Since your daddy is left handed, he is so proud of that!

-You still eat eat eat!!  You love my cooking.  As of now, you are really into pastas!  You still love your veggies, steak, and chicken though.  Fish sticks and cottage cheese are always a hit, too.  And good thing you can't overdose on yogurt, apples, raisins, and goldfish, because those are still your favorite snacks.  Still not a fan of anything from a can.

-Your favorite nighttime activity is me reading to you.  We could do that all night and you would be completely happy.  I love it when you bring me book after book!

-Mickey Mouse Clubhouse is still your favorite tv show, but you get soooooo upset when the hot dog song comes on because you know the show is coming to an end.  It's like the end of the world.

-All of a sudden you hate brushing your teeth.  Hate it!!!!!  We literally have to hold you down to do it and you put up a good fight.  But guess what, sweety, you are not getting cavities because we didn't brush your teeth, so just give it up....it's happening every night and every morning.

-Yes, all of your toys really do have to be put up every night before bed.  It's terrible and I may be mean for that, but again, it's happening every night.  Just do it without an attitude...for once.  Slamming toys in the toy chest counts as an attitude.

-Yes, I know you miss your Aunt Tosh.  You say her name 50 times a day.  I miss her a lot too.  She took a piece of our hearts with her.

-It has gotten better, but you are so sensitive.  If we get on to you, we have to hug really big and for a really long time all while you are fighting back huge tears before we can move on.

-You are your daddy made over in looks.  Never would I have thought to have a light haired little boy.  You have my brown eyes and complexion though and a smile that can light up a room.

-You are very jealous of your new cousins but I know y'all will be BFF's.

-Falling on purpose is hilarious to you right now.

-You still sleep with at least one truck or car clutched in hand.

-2 and 3T shirts, 2T pants, size 6.5-7 shoe, 3T pajamas.

 

I could seriously go on and on.  You are hilarious and constantly making us laugh.  I honestly don't remember life before you and I have no clue what I would do without you.  You are the reason for my life and I will always be here for you, even when you are 50.  I hope one day you can understand how much I love you.  God knew what he was doing when he gave you to me.  Happy 2nd birthday baby boy! (4-21-13)

 

Love, Mom



Hogeye Marathon Weekend

Well, I survived.  Just barely, but I did to say the least.  AD and I thought that we had trained hard enough and that we were ready.  I got news for you, we didn't and we weren't.  There is nowhere in the small town of Nashville to train for those kind of hills that we had to run.  Out of our 5.5 miles that we ran, I would be willing to bet that at least half of it was up hill.  And these hills were NOT little.  But, just to tell you how awesome we are.....we didn't walk one time AND we beat our best time that we had here in Nashville by quite a bit.  My hips and behind are really really sore this morning but it was so worth it.  There is nothing like finishing something like that and having that feeling of pride wash over you.  We had a ton of fun together and everyone did amazing.  It was a good experience.  We will for sure be signing up for more races in our near future.  Up next is Warrior Dash that is next month.  A 5k will seem short for us so yeah....we are about to murder it.

AD and I also got to watch the Hogs baseball game while we were there and we stayed in a very nice hotel with a feather down comforter.  I slept so good but I do have to admit that I missed my terrible sleeper that is my son.  One thing that I am sure of...us country girls did not belong in that scene.  I had to text my mom and ask how much to tip the valet parking dude.  We were completely clueless.

I swear just in that one short day that I didn't see Carter he has gained 5 pounds and has gotten at least an inch taller.  Judging by the sun burn on his arms and face...he must have stayed outside the entire time.

Speaking of outside, he has learned the word "outside".  So, what do you think I get to hear the ENTIRE time we are inside?  "Outhide".  And he can't just say it, he has to yell it.  So, please tell me why he has not said Mommy yet???

All in all I had a wonderful weekend and would do it all over again if I had the choice.

Words

Not much to report.  We are loving the amazing weather, of course.  I can't keep my child inside even if his nose is running like a faucet and he is coughing his head off.  He sure keeps me on my toes!

Carter is a genius in the making.  He loves learning his numbers, letters, and colors.  He has his letters down pretty good now, but he is getting more into numbers.  If I say one, he says two.  The only number he will say is two and that's only after I say one.  He loves for me to count things for him as he picks them up. 

He is beginning to throw words out left and right.  I am a crazy mom and I have done all the wrong things when it comes to worrying about Carter, I'll be the first to admit.  First, I have read the Internet on speech delay.  Yikes....that lead me down some pretty emotional roads.  Sometimes it would pretty much convince that Carter had a learning problem.  Then other times it gave me hope because it would tell me that it is totally normal for little boys to be a little behind, especially when they are too busy mastering other skills like pushing trucks and climbing on things (my child).  But my biggest mistake is that I have compared him with others.  So here I am comparing him to Ava Parker, who is freakishly smart and speaking in sentences.  So, I have decided to stop worrying and take everyone's advice:  He will talk when he is ready.  I have also been told that when boys hit about 2 years old their vocabulary "explodes".  Looks like that's what is going to happen with Carter...I hope.

Yesterday, in a total of 5 minutes Carter said dog, daddy, truck, duck, again, juice and two.  That's the most I have ever heard him say words in such a short time and I loved it!  It was music to my hears.  So, please pray that he continues to do that...for my sanity!

He understands everything!  He can do 2 and 3 step commands like a champ.  He has his 2 year appointment the 22nd so we will see what the good ol' doc has to say about it all.

Moving right along...

AD and I have been training for our relay that is Sunday.  Our leg is 5.5 miles.  I really think that we are golden for 4.5 miles right now, at a pretty good pace, and we only have this week to fit 1 more mile in there.  So, again, prayers would be appreciated.  We are really going to try our hardest not to walk!!

Problems

Well, I am at home with a little boy that is running 102 fever. It's been forever since he has been sick and I have kinda forgotten how terrible this is! But yeah, terrible is the word for it. And worst of all, his big 18 wheeler broke. While he crashed it off the coach, a wheel broke off. So now he is screaming at me while he is trying frantically to stick the wheel back on. So, looks like I will have to make a special trip to Walmart later to spend 35 bucks on a new 18 wheeler that comes with about 30 hot wheels. That will put him having about 100 hot wheels that we can step on later. Awesome.

And my mom and I started a new diet yesterday that involves stuff I don't know how to make and my mom had to go to little rock today, last minute. So that leaves me trying to cook porridge and tuna for my breakfast an lunch by myself.... All with a screaming kid.

Class A problems is what I have today, people!!

I Truly Apologize...

...Because I am about to blow this blog up with pictures.

 

Here is our Easter weekend

 

The Truck

My mom got Carter this truck for Easter and right when Carter saw it, his whole face lit up.  It has to be his most favorite toy that he has ever gotten.  As you can see, parting with it is no option for him.  He might or might not have tackled a kid or two over it.

 

 Most kids sleep with teddy bears....mine sleeps with 18-wheelers...no big deal.

 

Here are pictures of my family that I am so proud of.  Thank you Jenna Lane Photography...you do amazing work.