Slow down Carter!!

I took my sweet little Carter to the Dr yesterday afternoon as he is quite the 'spitter-upper'! Right now, its really just a laundry issue and he doesn't seem bothered by it, but he spits up most of the day and sometimes in large quantities. Dr said he looked good and maybe he's being overfed (what would make you say that?). Just a month ago at his 2 month check up he was 15 lbs, now a month later he is 17 LBS!!!! Anyway, at this point we're just going to watch it, and maybe I'll try to slow the feedings down slightly. I think my boys are just big their first year!!??? I feel like his first 3 months have been at super-speed pace and they won't slow down! At this rate, we'll have to move him from his carrier to a toddler car seat by Thanksgiving - YIKES!! Carter almost laughs me as I pull out any 0-3 month outfits - I think they've all been officially resigned to the 'maybe one more child bag'.

Cousins, cousins & more cousins!!

Well we're back from our trip to Charlotte and had a wonderful time. Me & the boys, accompanied by Aunt Rebekah, drove down to Charlotte (actually Rock Hill SC) on Wednesday morning to visit with Mark's older brother's family - Brian, Monica, Benjamin (7), Catherine (5) and Mary Scott (18months). We took our time making the drive with a toddler, a 3 month old and a 8+ month pregnant aunt!! We made it there with hardly a complaint! Mark & Paul joined us Friday nite.

It didn't take Anderson long to start 'dressing up' as soon as we got there! He loved dressing up in his cousin's pink leotard (won't Daddy be proud!!). Oh goodness! He spent more than a few minutes in it, and later added the matching pink skirt. I just let him be and made sure to capture the moment on film!! (why couldn't he dress like an indian like his cousins?) ; )

I'm not sure if this 'costume' is any better!

My aunt Michelle & uncle Glenn live in Charlotte so Friday morning we headed there to visit with them & my cousins Annalise and Charlene (formerly Cienna). They are always so kind to Anderson & keep him occupied! While we were there Anderson needed to go to the bathroom, unbeknownst to me, I hear him in their restroom - I couldn't get up because I was feeding Carter so I asked Michelle to check on him. Anderson NEVER goes to the bathroom by himself and he still requires much supervision!! Well, poor little Anderson didn't make it in time to the potty and so Michelle found Anderson standing in a puddle. I told Michelle & Glenn I was very sorry for the mess but that I was soooo proud of Anderson trying to get there in time (he would usually settle for his pull-up). Better luck next time buddy!!!

Michelle meeting Carter.

Annalise and Charlene introduced Anderson to their guinea pigs - Wilbur & Wobble (I think!)

Anderson holding a guinea pig for the 1st time!

Mark & I celebrated our 6th wedding anniversary in Charlotte. Wow time is flying by! Here's a pic of the happy couple!!

Monica talking to Carter.

Close-up of Carter -such a happy boy!

Saturday nite found me, Carter & my camera staying home to get Carter ready for bed. Everyone else went to the park. My all boy Anderson had another fun time in the dirt!! He can't get enough!! You should have seen the bottom of his feet! Here is a snapshot from when they got home...

OK, now I've got to go pack for our trip to Jacksonville!!

Random Facts about Heather

OK, here it goes - I was "tagged" by Beth to post 8 random things about myself. I tried to give you things you might not know about me -

1) Born a yankee in Massachusetts, raised as a Georgia Peach from 3 yrs old and on (and wouldn't have it anyother way!!!)

2) Lived in France for a summer in college - lived with a French family. My major in school was International Business with a minor in French. One of the very best experiences of my life. Ask me about my trip one day and I'll talk your ear off!! Parlez-vous francais??

3) Worked for Lancome in college as a 'cosmetics consultant'. What a fantastic college job - the perks were amazing! My plan was to use my international business major and work corporately for Lancome in New York. Oh well -quite different from the RR!!!

4) I have a tattoo.... a small butterfly on the inside of my right ankle. I got it when I was 18 yrs old. I know, I know - I like to wear my mistakes. I've had one process to have it removed - the date of the one laser treatment- Sept 11, 2001.

5) Once upon a time, I was an athlete! I know, its kind of hard to believe - now I'm kind of an 'inside girl'. I lettered all 4 years in varsity soccer and made the all-state team my senior year. That was probably the last time I touched a soccer ball!

6) I'm married to a TWIN!! Yes, the other twin lives in Chesapeake. Many people have learned that Mark has a twin the hard way (Sue Ratz). They are identical so if you see Mark and he ignores you, good chance its Paul!


7) I think raspberries & oranges go heavenly with chocolate! I insist (or demand maybe) that Mark puts a 'chocolate orange' in my Christmas stocking each year.

8) Yep, I was a cheerleader. Loved it and hated it all at the same time. I was voted 'most spirited' one year - maybe that's why Anderson is so spirited!!! ; )

Ok, so now I'm 'TAGGING' the following people: Jen Maggiore & Jamie Saunders

Gardens & Shower

Another fun day at the Botanical Gardens - I just love going to the Botanical Gardens now that they have the children's gardens - it is so much fun and Anderson always loves playing in the fountains. Mark never gets to go and so we decided to go on Saturday and we met the Saunders fam. The boys had a great time playing in the water and hardly slowed down - both Jamie & I were running after the boys trying to get some good pics. Hard task!

Saturday afternoon was Rebekah's baby shower - it was a lovely event and the food was terrific!! We are so excited that baby Avery will be here soon (countdown 7 weeks!). It will be so great having a "local cousin"!! It will be wonderful to share this special thing called 'motherhood' with Rebekah!! Such a special bond!!

proud wife

Ok so my girlfriend Robyn came in town last week and while she was here she took some pics of the boys & a couple of our family - she is an excellent photographer and has taken lots of pics for us over the years. She snapped some great pics - look at these pics of Mark & the boys. I almost want to cry when I see these pics -- remember that famous photograph of the man without his shirt holding the baby that always elicits an 'AWE' - well I am sooooo lucky that I have the real thing (with his shirt on of course!)!! The Lord has blessed me with the most wonderful husband who is the absolute best daddy in the world!! When I start thinking about Mark as a father, I get overwhelmed with emotion - he loves our sweet boys so much! I am so proud that he is my husband and my boys' daddy. As we near our 6th anniversary this week, I just felt compelled to jot down (or type) some of my feelings. I know he is going to be embarassed when he reads this, but thats OK!! I love you BPBHDoAC!!!

Happy 3rd Birthday Erin!

Today we found ourselves at little Erin's birthday party -celebrating her 3 wonderful years! Jenn, after having a baby 2 weeks ago, threw a great 'Dora the Explorer' bash. The kids had a terrific time playing with the wrapping paper (imagine that) and behaved beautifully at lunch. It was amazing to see 5 toddlers sitting nicely at the table - I couldn't believe it and had to document it!! I think my favorite part of the party was Erin blessing the food - she prayed for the food, prayed that her friends Ryan & Emily wouldn't travel far again, and that the babies wouldn't be grumpy!! I think I'm going to have to start praying for non-grumpiness too! Happy Birthday sweet girl!!


I also learned about how great 'bumbos' truly are - here's Carter at 2 1/2 months sitting up! (again, super chunk!)

Just undies

Yep, I'm that mom who lets their almost 3 year old frolick in our front yard in nothing but his undies!! Since we're still potty training, we have more luck letting Anderson hang out in his 'bare essentials' - underwear, training pants or diaper. I kind of forgot to mention he needed clothes on when we went outside to wait for Mark's lunch time arrival - he was having so much fun, I just couldn't resist. I could almost feel the neighbors' glares as he was prancing around in his Nemo undies!! He was rolling around in the grass saying 'it feels so good'!!! How cute! He modeled for me a bit too, so that I could capture these moments in my blog. Enjoy!!

Oh how I can't wait to embarass him with these photos when he's a teenager!!

Fun with Robyn

My dear friend Robyn came to visit this weekend (she now lives in Roanoke)- she came into town Saturday afternoon bringing gifts for the boys & cookies for me & Mark (yummy!). After the guys' softball game, we met at Chix Cafe for some late socialization - it was a beautiful summer evening on the water! Today Robyn took some pics of the boys & our family after church. We enjoyed some Arby's together and then bid farewell to our dear friend. Always a great time hanging out with Robyn - she has been very special to me since I moved to Hampton Roads in 2003!! Hurry back Robyn!

Til next year guys!

Another softball season has come & gone!!! It's been so much fun over the last 4 years to see how our time on the sidelines change - the 1st year all the gals were pregnant, the 2nd year we all had small babes, the 3rd year found our toddlers coming into their own & having fun at the weekly outings and this 4th year found more pregnant girls & babies!! We always have a blast & enjoy our Saturday nites at the field. I think Anderson was trying to get his 'dirt fix' for the rest of the summer as he was rolling around in the dirt, living it up!! After the guys' loss, Mark took Anderson on the field to play for a few minutes & run the bases. What a good time - see you next season!!!

Bye Bye Bassinet

My sweet little Carter has now graduated from his bassinett to his crib - he has spent the last 5 nites or so in his room at nite. For probably a week I kept saying to Mark, I think Carter needs to move to his crib - he gets fidgety and I could hear every movement and grunt, nevermind that my BIG baby kep kicking the end of the bassinet - a sure sign he had basically outgrown his time in the small bed. I was very sad to put him down in his own room, another milestone has come & gone. Here's a picture of my sweet boy in his crib.

Good intentions...

Unfortunately I think I fall into the category of people who don't 'walk the talk'. I label myself as having lots of good intentions and plans, but sometimes fall short when life gets in the way!! Anyway, I'm trying to right this character flaw of mine and be more realistic with my so-called creative energies -(you know me, I'm the gal who flips thru Pottery Barn Kids saying 'I can make that').... Jen, Jamie & my mother-in-law can attest that I'm a little slow in the scrapbooking department- I've only recently completed the first couple pages of Anderson's book. One day maybe... Jen got me a 'scrapbooking kit' for Carter that should be very helpful and hopefully I can stay more on top of his.... Anyway, that leads me to my activity of the day - ever since Anderson was born I wanted to create a shadow box for him -including his first lock of hair, hospital cap, etc. Several months ago I took the 1st step and actually bought the shadowbox - and Mark has been asking me ever since - what are you going to do with that thing and when? Well, that day has finally arrived (now that Anderson is nearly 3)!!! Today I can say that I can finally check off the shadow box!!!! Hooray!!! (I'm not proud, but pretty close to it!!)

Another baby!!

Most of those who know me know that in my circle of life, nearly everyone I know has either been pregnant or wants to be pregnant this year. Needless to say, its been somewhat of a baby parade and yet another baby has arrived!! Our friends Mike & Roseann had baby Anthony "Tony" last week and we had another opportunity to meet him again tonite. Tony's big brother Niko is one of Anderson's best buds and goes to 'school' with Anderson. I'm sure Carter & Tony will become the best of friends too!!! Welcome sweet little boy!!!

HOT HOT and more HOT!!!

Whew - we've had several HOT HOT HOT days in Va Beach - I think with the heat index its been over 100degrees! Anderson went to 'school' all day Monday so that I could work on Carter's napping skills as well as give some much needed TLC to my house. When Mark & Anderson got home we piled into the car and headed to the Mt Trashmore pool for a quick dip before dinner. Anderson had a great time and Carter took a dip too! Anderson had a pretty good day requiring little correction (thank goodness!)....

Yesterday the boys & me visited with Jenn, Erin & Anna to say 'happy birthday Jennifer'! When we arrived in the 100degree weather, I accidentally 'bonked' Anderson in the head with Carter's car seat (oops) - so he started whimpering and decided he didn't want to come inside to play. So, I had to put the screaming Carter down inside and get the now screaming Anderson to come inside. What an entrance we made to the Maggiores home! Here come the Judds! At least our entrance was memorable -right? Anyway, it was good to see the now year older Jenn and baby Anna, and of course Erin talked it up!!

This morning we ventured to MacArthur mall with Jamie & the kids to play at the infamous 'hot dog'. Of course everyone else had the same idea as us to get inside and avoid the heat, but can you believe that the stinkin A/C wasn't working at the 'hot dog'!!! Anyway, we went to Nordstrom's as we often do to enjoy some muffins and their awesome ginger peach tea. Guess what - they were out of sugar and therefore didn't have any peach tea - just some dreaded 'unsweet' tea! What kind of establishment runs out of sugar? I then asked for a refund and made a complaint. Sorry for complaining but they gotta know that we come just for the tea!!!

OK, I think I'm kind of caught up now!!

Turning Point??

After another intense 'training day' with Anderson, we may have had a turning point this evening. At dinnertime Anderson was not interested in joining Mark & I for dinner and therefore after our 'training' session with him, I wasn't in the greatest of moods. This 'training' can be quite hard on a Mom, for sure! Anyway, I was upstairs sorting thru some laundry when Anderson came up to me & said, "you're not happy, Mommy?" This was the first time Anderson had actually perceived & verbalized someone else's emotions. Needless to say, I jumped on the opportunity to again tell him was I was unhappy and how he could help by being obedient. All this to say, I feel encouraged that maybe some of our 'tough talks' with Anderson will soon bear some fruit! Lord, please help Mark & I persevere in our training efforts to bring up our sweet boys in your way!!!

Big Chunk & Shots

Today Carter had his 2month check-up and I can report he is a big healthy boy!! He weighed in at 15lbs, 1oz and 24inches long - those measurements put him in the 97% and 90%iles respectively - BIG CHUNKER!! Anderson was the same way when he was a baby - he was always on the "big" side his 1st year, then he's now on the bottom of the charts - my little peanut!!

Along with the 2month check-up comes the first vaccinations!!! 4 shots & one 'oral' vaccination. It's so hard to watch your sweet innocent little boy get 'stuck' so many times and can't do anything but be there for them (& offer some Tylenol). It's such a sad moment to me, their bodies have been so pure and have had nothing but breastmilk until now when he has all this 'medicine' flowing thru him. I survived this visit and didn't cry (I did with Anderson). Here's a recent pic of my little 2 month old brave chunker!!

My big baby

Ok so those of you with toddlers know all too well about the 'do it myself' stage. Well that's where we are with Anderson and have actually been in this stage for awhile. Interestingly enough though, since Carter's arrival, its been neat to see Anderson want to be like his baby brother in a few instances. For one, he wants me to hold him & carry him much more often (especially up the stairs). He wants me to carry him inside the house first from the car and then go back & get Carter. At first I honestly have to say I wasn't pleased with this new behavior (my back), but now I find it rather sweet. Now that we have a new baby, I realize how much bigger & older Anderson is and how the years fly by, so I'm just glad that I can still pick-up & hold my little Anderson because I know there will come a day when either he won't want me to carry him or when I physically can't carry him...

Also, Anderson was rummaging thru his drawers and came across a onesie - similar to something Carter might where - so guess what, that's what Anderson wanted to wear! Its so funny that he wanted to wear something like his baby brother, usually its the other way around -right? At any rate, it suffices to say that Anderson is totally in love with this baby brother. He constantly asks me ... "when Carter is bigger, can he play with me?" or "when Carter is bigger, can he watch me play baseball"? It's so cute - he loves his brother so much and can't wait to show him the world!!!