An Early Visit From...

The Birthday Fairy {aka: The UPS man}, who brought this from Bamma and Big Pat:

About which Carter feels like this:

And, Carter has discovered uses beyond the intended:

He absolutely loves this chair! He cracked me up this afternoon by pushing his music table over to it {as if his music table were a push-toy! Looks like we know the next purchase I need to make!}, climbing into the chair, and then laying over the arm of the chair to play with the music table. It was priceless; but, of course, I wasn't fast enough with the camera!

Carter has also started sleeping on a cot at school! His teacher told me that he really loves it. When they put him in a crib now, he fusses and won't go to sleep. When they put him on a cot, he drifts right off {sometimes he requires a little patting}. Nick and I can't figure out how that happens because we can't imagine him slowing down long enough to fall asleep on a cot!

PS: Thanks for all of the comments/suggestions on the previous post. Now we have some places to start. Hopefully, we will get something up soon!

Things that make you go, "hmmm?"

This is what the bottom of our stairs leading upstairs looks like.

This is what my {almost} 11 month old likes to do on the stairs. (In fact, he loves this. If I come behind him or the cat is in front of him, he climbs faster. Cute, but also a little scary.)

Baby gates won't fit on these stairs as a barrier because the railing isn't wide enough.

What is a mom to do? Suggestions welcome!

It's 5:00 Somewhere

For those of you who went to UA and were there when Capstone Grill was around the corner (and down a bit) from The Corner, here is a nice little recipe to take you back:

Walk-Me-Down
1/2 oz Vodka
1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz Tequilla
1/2 oz Rum
1/2 oz Triple Sec
1/2 oz Blue Curacao
1 oz Sweet and Sour mix
4-6 oz Spr.ite

For those of you unfamiliar with the reference, the recipe makes a drink about the color of the name and very sweet. I suppose if you prefer not so sweet, you could half the Spr.ite and add the same amount of club soda. Be careful, though. As you might imagine from the ingredients, a little goes a long way!

A fun summer time drink! Enjoy!

On My Soapbox

(Disclaimer: This post is not intended to offend; it is more of a vent on my part. Please feel free to comment with your perspective if it differs from my own...or even if it doesn't)

So, I have been irked a few times lately by a particular comment. For some reason, when I hear moms who stay at home say, "I am a full time mom," it really gets under my skin. Well, not really for some reason...for this reason: So am I.

I am not a part time mother because I work outside the home. I am very much a full time mom. Sometimes, I think I am a crazy full time mom, because, as SAHMs know very well, when you add up taking care of your little one(s), taking care of your home, and other responsibilities, you wind up having little time for YOU. That is equally true for me regarding working outside the home. I don't view work as "me" time. In fact, it is, in my opinion, anything but.

I want to be clear. I am not suggesting that one is better than the other. Both are perfectly wonderful options, and I think that each family makes the decision that is right for them (which can, and often does, change at different times).

I want to give the women who make that comment the benefit of the doubt. I want to be able to say that they don't mean to imply that moms who work outside the home aren't full-time moms. But I don't know. Perhaps there are some out there who truly do mean to imply just that.

I'd like to think that, as moms, we could recognize that whether we work at home or outside the home, we are all both working mothers and full time moms.

The little one to whom I am a full time mom

This past weekend he LOVED climbing, playing, & rocking in this rocking chair that was my grandfather's.

Beach Baby

I am finally getting around to posting about our vacation last week. We were able to drive back down to Alabama to visit our family and spend some time at the beach. It was a great trip, but I have to say it was quite a bit different from previous beach trips Nick and I have taken solo!

Carter was introduced to the gulf through his"toe dipping." He was definitely not a fan. He started crying as soon as we walked toward the surf, and I swear he was holding on so tightly that I could have let go and he wouldn't have gone anywhere (I didn't!).

Carter's "toe dippin'"

He wasn't really sure what to think of the sand, but after a few minutes, he was crawling all over. Which, of course meant that we all had sand all over us as well...and everything else!

This sand stuff is weird

To redeem his skepticism of the gulf, Carter felt obligated to show off his love of the pool. He continues to love it and loves being out of his float and "swimming" like a big boy. He has even graduated to going under water--with help, of course!

Swimming like a big boy with Dad

We got to spend lots of time with my family, visit with Nick's mom, brother and sister, Stacey, and Nick managed to play in a golf tournament last weekend as we drove back through Birmingham on our way home.

It was fun to see Carter explore so many new things and see him grow up so fast. He is definitely getting a little more steady on his feet. He is quite the "cruiser" now, and will even stand on his own every now and again!

These are just a few of our pictures...I will try to upload some to our picture site soon!

Family picture on the dock

Five things I miss about the south

I fully intended to provide a vacation update, complete with pictures last night. However, we got home later than I anticipated and hooking up the camera to download the pictures seemed like too daunting a task at 12:30, so I decided to go to bed. Thus, you get a quick posting of a few things I was reminded of that I miss about the south...and I will post the vacation update either later today or tomorrow.

In no particular order:

1. Family. It was great to get to see our families and spend time with them. It is hard to be the only family members outside of a 3 hour radius and miss important and fun family events. We always love the opportunity to spend time with those we love.

2. Friends. We have wonderful friends in Alabama. That is not to say that we don't have wonderful friends in Indianapolis...we absolutely do. It is just that we get to spend lots of time with our friends in Indy and not so much time with our friends in Alabama. It is great we when get to see them and share fun times.

3. Sweet tea. There is a distinction to be made between "sweet tea" and "sweetened tea." The latter is what you get when a server brings you iced tea in a glass and you dump in some sugar/sweetner, stir it around and watch it settle on the bottom of your glass. The former is a lovely, syrupy sweet southern nectar the likes of which I haven't been able to find up here.

4. Smocking. For those of you not from the south, you can click here to find out more. I love it for children. Every time Carter wears something smocked up here, people think I am dressing him like a girl. Let me be clear, smocked outfits are truly universal--boys and girls alike look precious in smocked outfits.

5. Ma'am and Sir. We had a babysitter for Carter while we were there. A sweet girl who was in the youth group when we worked with the youth at Canterbury. I asked a question and she responded with, "Yes, Ma'am." I almost told her that I wasn't a Ma'am, but I know if I had been her age, I would have said "yes, ma'am" to someone 12 years my senior as well. So, I accepted it...appreciated it, even. I know in the midwest that it isn't the norm...and that is okay. But, it is, in my mind, synonymous with good manners (this doesn't mean that I think people have bad manners if they don't say it...just that I always feel like they do if they do say it). I hope that Nick and I are diligent enough to make sure Carter responds with "ma'am" and sir." (nevermind that his favorite word right now is "yea")

The list is not exhaustive, but it was a few things that I was thinking about as we drove home last night. There are many wonderful things about Indiana that I love as well...but that is for another day {post}.

I promise...pictures to come soon for those of you who prefer the visually enhanced posts!

Wordless Wednesday

I've Been Caught

by the pink eye bug! :(

It was only a matter of time. Objectively, I guess we should be truly thankful. Carter has been in daycare since the week after Thanksgiving, and this is the first time that he has caught something other than a cough or a runny nose.

It bothered me far worse than it bothered Carter. Which is to say that it didn't bother Carter at all.

We noticed it right away, got some drops (trust me, this reads much easier than it was!) and a day and a half later--today--he appears to be almost free of the pink eye bug. Yea!

Splish, Splash

When there is no pool to play in, you simply improvise.

The dog bowl was full when Carter started playing in it. He was pretty wet after he splashed it empty and couldn't have cared less.

Fourth of July in Pictures

Watching from the front door as mom takes pictures

(wouldn't this be so cute if I were a good photographer and eliminated the shadow?)

Learning to climb the stairs (which he has done; I supervised a full climb after the cat yesterday)

Family picture

My first watermelon (he loved the taste and the juice, but spit out the actual fruit!)

They must be related

Are you kidding me? I can't even get one good picture of the two of them!?! I promise it is not for lack of trying. They are definitely cut from the same cloth.

Both making funny eyes at Mom

Now, Carter cooperating, Dad not

Both sticking their tongues out

Now, Dad cooperating, Carter not.

I give up.

Comments

You may have noticed the red box that has been added at the top of the sidebar. I have been perusing (stalking, lurking, call it what you like) other blogs and came across this "agreement." I think it is a great idea. Essentially it is a commitment to visit other blogs (preferably from those who have joined IComLeavWe, but not necessarily) and comment for a week each month. If you want to check it out, click on the red box and it will take you to the explanation and the list of blogs.

Admit it, you, too, love when there is one more comment on your blog than there was the last time you looked. And it is fun when it is someone unexpected...an old friend who found you from another blog...or someone from Australia praising your Mother- and Sister-in-law's craftmanship of a Baptism gown (yes, this is true...check it out here).


So, go on...join in the fun! You know you want to.

The Gigglebox Video

Blogger finally let me post the video. I wish I could bottle that giggle!