Fifteen Months Already???

Dear Carly,

You recently turned 15 whole months old!! You are getting to be an old woman...LOL!!

You are still tiny...you only weigh about 18lbs, and I would say that you are maybe 27-28inches tall or so. You wear 12 month clothes. I tried something that was 18months on you the other day and it just swallowed you up! Every time someone sees you walking around, they always ask how old you are because you look so small, but you just walk perfectly, and pretty much run! It looks so darn cute when you walk around!

You still nurse, but only at night...I am planning on weaning you completely for the new year. You love to eat mandarin oranges, waffles, cereal bars, and, of course, because you are my daughter, you love chocolate!

You sleep through the night now! Woo hoo!! I would say that you really don't wake up at all once you go to bed! You only take one nap a day, but it is about 2-2 1/2 hours or so!

Here are a couple of your "new" tricks...we have a string on the light in the boys bathroom so Ryan can reach. Well, you can now reach it and you LOVE, love, love to "sneak" attack and turn the light off when someone is in the bathroom! You also have very recently started to lie down when I tell you it's time to change your diaper! Such a smart girl! (I have to say that you are pretty mellow when it comes to diaper changes...you lie there nicely, and don't try to squirm and wiggle like most toddlers do.) The other day, you were whining about something and when I followed you, you ran in the kitchen and opened the pantry, and it seemed like you said "these" as you pointed to the crackers!! Other than that, you really don't say any words.

You had your second Thanksgiving...lots of relatives came to our house to eat. And we have a new dog, Suzie. You go up to her and open your mouth wide and let her lick your mouth...GROSS!! But you love it and you laugh and laugh when she does it. Well...we are looking forward to your second Christmas and all the gifts you will get!!

I love you very, very much, little Princess

Love, Mommy

Fourteen Months Old!!

Wow...it seems like I only write when it's Carly's "month birthday"...I am too busy!

Dearest Carly,

You are now fourteen months old!! You are such a ham, you crack me up all the time!!

I put you on the scale the other day and you weighed 19 1/2 lbs...you're moving on up!!

You do not say any words, but you sure do babble! You like to "talk" on the phone...wish I knew what you were saying! You call out "Ai-ya" when you are calling for Susie (the dog) or your brothers...like YOU know what you are saying!

You love to cuddle all the time and are such a sweetie!

We went to the neighbors house the other day and you started crawl/walking up the stairs...I didn't know you knew how to do that??!!

You still nurse once at night, but I think that is going to the wayside. You are able to go to sleep on your own (and have slept through the night the last week!!), so I think our days of nursing are coming to a close. Makes me a little sad...you are growing up too fast...

You and your brothers were baptized at the beginning of November. You did so well, and before the service, you were walking all around, looking so cute, and getting oohs and aahs from the crowd.

You like to play with your toys, but you like to play with mine even more!! You always get into my bathroom drawers and pull out all my hair stuff...I can't child proof enough!

We had everyone over for Thanksgiving, and you sure did enjoy your food...you ate turkey, corn, green bean casserole and even some pumpkin pie! You are such a sweets girl and LOVE, LOVE, LOVE brownies!!

Nothing else is really new...just same old, same old.

I love you so much, cuddle bug!!

Love,
Mommy

Has it really been THIRTEEEN months???

Dear Carly,

You are now thirteen months old. Wow! You are still so little, that it looks funny when you walk around...like you shouldn't be walking yet because you are still a baby!

I think you are so smart because of all the things that you know how to do without being "taught". When I give you a brush and tell you to brush your hair, you mimic the brushing motion. Same with a toothbrush! When you pick up my cell phone, you hold it to your ear and "talk". You know how to turn around and scoot yourself off the couch. You color on paper with crayons. I told you the other day to "get your drink" and you turned around, picked up your drink and drank it! I'm sure that this is normal behavior for 13 month olds, but I don't remember and to me, you seem so smart!

No, you don't really says words yet. You say Mama and have for a while. You wave bye-bye with your fingers. But as far as real words...nothing. Maybe you are one who is taking it all in and one day will just blurt out a full, recognizable sentence?! You do babble that cute little baby babble. But no words...sigh. Angela said that the other day, Halie came home and you said her name several times and that even Ryan knew what you were saying, but I haven't heard it.

You have a cold right now, replete with all the sniffles, runny nose and watery eyes that accompany colds. Poor baby. You fight, fight, fight it when I try to use the nose goblin on you (our word for snot sucker, doesn't nose goblin sound so much nicer??)

You have eight teeth...four on bottom and four on top. You still don't have a lot of hair, but they all tell me it'll come some day! You wear size 12 months clothing and size 3 diapers! You are bottle free!! Only a sippy cup for you! You still nurse a couple of times a day! And you SLEPT THROUGH THE NIGHT two days ago! WOO HOO!..You are starting to get a little picky with food. You like salmon, chicken and meat, all fruits, but you are starting to turn your nose up at some veggies. And, of course, you wouldn't be my child if you didn't like sweets!! You are a brownie fiend...LOL!

This Halloween you will be a flower! I can't wait until my computer is fixed so I can upload pics!!

I love you, flower girl!
Mommy

Happy FIRST Birthday, Sweet Baby Girl!!

Dear Rita-Carlita,


I know I am a day late in posting this, but yesterday was all about you, and I didn't quite feel like writing a blog...

Let's see...what's new?

You are walking!!!

You still nurse, but only twice a day at this point. You love to eat regular people food...cereal bars, fruit and brownies are your favorites!!

You still wake up a couple of times a night, but that's ok because you go right back to sleep! You take a nap in mid morning and then a nap in the afternoon.

You love to play peek-a-boo, patty cake, and wave bye-bye!

It has been such a fun year with you! I can't believe how fast time has gone...you went from 7lbs, 5 oz to 17lbs, 14oz. From 20 inches to 27 inches. You are just growing like a weed. I love you soooooo much...and am sooooo grateful you blessed us with your presence! It is such a joy to watch all the new things you do and to experience life with you. Everywhere we go, people just fall in love with you because of your infectious grin and your beautiful spirit! I hope you continue to smile all the time and shine with love and happiness!

I believe that a woman who says she loves all her children the same is lying. A mother loves each of her children differently and for different reasons. It doesn't mean that she loves one MORE than the other; it just means that each child holds a unique spot in her heart, each child fulfills a different role in her life. I love you more than I ever thought I could love a baby girl. I know that sounds weird, but I thought, after three boys, that there was no real inherent difference between boys and girls. After all, a child is a child no matter what. You would just be another child in my house. But I am already finding that you are NOT the same as your brothers. That pink is so much fun!

Anyway, I love you my sweet, sweet Princess,
Mommy

Been a While....

Life seems so hectic right now...in reality it's not any more hectic than usual, it just FEELS so.

Landon started first grade. They grow so much in Kindergarten--that's a given. But I never knew how much they would grow academically in just the first month of first grade. Landon's penmanship is improving by leaps and bounds. And he is a bona fide reader now! There are some words that I am in awe that he knows, and then there are others that he won't sound out and it's frustrating. He has homework every night, Monday through Thursday. It is just a math worksheet, a writing/words worksheet, and to read/be read to for fifteen minutes. And it falls on me to be the taskmaster. He gets so upset with me when I come home from work and tell him we have to do homework. So I have now instituted a reward policy...if he does his homework without complaining each night, then he can buy his lunch at school one day the next week. Seems to be working nicely so far...

I have decided I DO NOT like the age three. I didn't like it with Austin or Landon. I do not like it with Ryan. And I will not like it with Carly. (I do not like green eggs and ham, I do not like them, Sam I am.) Ryan is sooooo mean. He is constantly "beating up" on Carly, and even Landon. Whatever happened to my sweet little blondie?? But, as he grows up, he cracks me up with the things he says and does. He LOVES Mylie Cyrus...so last night he has boppin his head and singing along with her on TV.

Carly...Carly...Carly. There is so much going on in the world of Carly. Her seventh tooth started poking through this past week (the day Patrick Swayze died). She is drinking milk from a sippy cup all by herself! But the big news is she is walking!! She started taking steps here and there the last couple of weeks. Then it turned in to six or seven steps at a time the last couple of days. Then it turned in to her walking everywhere last night. It's too cute. She walk really slow to keep her balance. And she's so little that it looks funny for her to be walking around! Go, Carly!!

I have been crazy busy at work. Some days were crazy due to patient load...we had forty-some deliveries in the first five days of September. That kinda capped off a hellish three weeks of every room full and more coming in every time you answered the phone or the door. Right now I am trying to finish a big project...one more thing (and it's just a class!) and I am D-O-N-E!!! This has been something I have worked on since January, and it feels soooo good to be pretty much finished! Being the overachiever I am, I feel like I have gone over and above what was asked of me, but at least I can say I truly earned my bonus and the level III RN title!

I start back to college in November. I am bridging to get my bachelors in nursing. It is an online program, and it should only take me a year or so. Baylor pays for it, so I am psyched!

There's way more going to in the Caro household, but I just do not have the energy to put it out there for all to see. Plus I have to get dressed for church--such a bright spot each week!!

Almost a Year!! You're Eleven Months Old Now!!!

My dear, dear Carly-bug:

In one month you will be ONE!! I cannot believe how long you have already been on this earth, delighting me with your silly antics and melting my heart with your sweet, innocent baby love!

Let's see:
Eating--You still nurse. We're down to about four times a day, but I am wondering if you will ever stop?! You LOVE to eat big people food. There is nothing that you won't eat, or at least try. You seem to gravitate towards the fruits and breads before you eat anything else. And you love to drink from your sippy cup. So far, you will only drink ice water from it. I have tried formula and just today whole milk, but you will take one sip and then shake your head "no" as you throw the cup. You are making your preferences known.

You also make your wishes known VERY loudly and precise. You throw all sorts of screaming fits when we take something away from you. Or in the case of ice cream, fail to give you something you want SO BADLY.

You stood up today on your very own from sitting without holding on to anything! You were in the middle of the room without anything around and Landon said, "look mama" very excitedly and you were standing all on your own!! That means you will be walking soon!!! And I am ready!

You "talk" to us quite a bit, but no real words yet. You say mama and dada indiscriminately, but I'm sure you don't know what it means. I know you know NO. You shake your little head when you don't want something...tht's very obvious.

You sleep pretty well at night now, not really getting up but maybe once or so. I have started rocking you and putting you in your crib. You will sleep for 2-4 hours before you wake up screaming. So I will get you and bring you into my room, and then you'll sleep the rest of the night!

You still smile your cheesy grin when you see hte light from the camera. Silly, silly girl!

You busted your lip this morning...I don't know what you fell on, but you creamed and cried and couldn't be comforted with being held. When I looked down at my shirt, there was blood all over it, so you busted it good. I let you suck cool water from a washcloth and you were fine. It had a blood blister, but it popped at some point in the morning, and now you just look like you've had silicone implants on one part of your upper lip. Poor baby. I know it is the first of many, many more owies and boo boos.

You wave, give high-fives, play peek-a-boo, and play patty cake. You also pat me on my arm when I am holding you...you crack me up.

Your brothers bug you all the time. Ryan sits on you, crawls on you, pushes you and is just a big bully to you. One day you will have enough and tear into him. I look forward to it ...LOL. Landon thinks he is your appointed cry stopper...whenever you cry, he always brings you to me. And just plops you in my lap.

I can't think of anything else right now except that it is a joy and honor to be your mommy. You bring me happiness every day!

Until next month, my sweet baby girl,
I love you
Mommy

More Carly Updates....

Wow...it's been a while since I've been on...due in large part to my computer crashing. Such drama, but the good news is, I didn't lose much. And no pictures or videos where harmed in the crashing of the 'puter.

Anyway--here's what's new in the world of Princess Carly.

She stands!! She can stand all by herself for long periods of time, well really only about 20 seconds or so, but who's counting. And boy, let me tell you, she pulls herself to standing ALL the time!

She waves bye-bye...just started doing it two days ago. She also high-fives, peek-a-boos and claps!!

She also got her FIFTH tooth 8/12. It's her left lateral!!

Will post more later!!

Happy TEN months, Carly!!

Dear Carly,

Today you are TEN months old!! That's only two months away from being ONE!!! I cannot believe how fast this first year is flying...I am loving that you are getting so big and doing so many news things!

You now have five teeth! You got your top two within a couple of days of each other earlier when you just turned nine months old, and you got your right lateral (tooth next to the front tooth) yesterday!!

You crawl ALL over the house. There is not a room that you cannot crawl to...now that you can navigate up and down the step in the living room! You can also stand...you pull to standing on anything and everything...the window curtain, the fireplace, me, toys...anything, LOL. You also stood all on your own the other day. You were standing, holding on to me, and then you let go. You were upright for a few seconds and then you lowered yourself back down to sitting!

You "talk" a lot...mostly screaming when you want attention. You follow me around the house screaming at me...it's annoying at times, but also cute!

You still nurse, but now you are eating all sorts of food. I guess you thought you were too big for baby food, because once I started feeding you "big people" food, you started eating a lot!! You love fruit (cherries and oranges are your favorite), noodles, and rolls! Angela says that when she makes noodles, you scream at her until she gives you some and then you eat, eat, eat! We went to Golden Corral last night, and I'm telling you, you ate more/better than your brothers!!

Yesterday someone waved to you and you put your hand up like you were waving back...smart baby!!

You got some boo-boos this month, all in the same day. You were crawling on the tile, when you got caught up in your dress, and you fell on your face. Bruise number one on your right cheek. Then as I was taking you out of your high chair, I scraped your thigh on the tray. Bruise number two on your right thigh. Then, to add insult to injury, you fell against the metal frame on my bed. Bruise number three across the bridge of your nose and left eye. You looked so pitiful, my poor baby, with all those bruises.

You love to play with your brothers. You follow them around, saying "eh, eh, eh" while they play. I guess the "eh, eh, eh" is to get attention. You also love to stand at the tub while they take a bath! Landon has gotten in to the bad habit of picking you up and carrying you all around the house. I am trying to teach you a little independence, so I let you cry a little on the floor before I get you. Landon will always pick you up and hand you to me, saying, "Here's Mama, don't cry." He's like another little mother to you.

Oh, and Carly, now you bite...and it HURTS. When I tell you "NO" very sternly, your little face crinkles up into a pout and then you start to cry, like I hurt your feelings. But you gotta learn!

That's all I can think of right now...will post pics later!

I love you sooooo much, silly bear!!
Love,
Mama

Carly's Favorite Past-time

Can you guess what is Carly's absolute favorite thing in the world to do???

If you guessed following me around the house, screaming at me, then you'd come in a close second....her "favoritist" thing is STANDING...tada!!!

My girl has already been corrupted by the boys...

So the other day, Carly was lounging peacefully in my lap, as she usually does on these hot, lazy summer days. All of a sudden, this loud, unlady like noise erupted from her delicate little bum. Carly looked up, grinned and then started laughing. *Sigh* There go all my hopes and dreams of a girly-girl...LOL

My sweet baby for all to see!!

Here's a little video of Carly crawling and "talking" to her Mama!!

Ryan's Birthday Baths!

For the past three years, I have taken a picture of Ryan in the kitchen sink on his birthday!

One Year Old!

Two Years Old!

Three Years Old!

Has it really been nine months already?? Letter to Carly

Dear, dear Carly,

A couple of days ago, you turned nine months old. You have now been "outside of me" just as long as you were "inside" me. And what a nine months it has been! Even though you don't sleep worth a darn, you are the easiest of all my babies. Maybe I am just more confident/experienced now, I don't know, but it really does seem like fun versus work. You smile so much and just exude pure love!

You have four teeth now! Two on the bottom ,and now two on the top. The right one came in on Sunday (6/21) and the other one came in Wednesday (6/24). I thought it was so cute when you only had the bottom ones and you would smile that cheesy grin smile where you'd crinkle your nose and eyes, and just grin away. I admit that I was a little sad to see you get the other teeth because it means you are growing up.

You can say "mama". It is so cute because you will move your lips like you are saying "Mama" with no sound, and then you'll say it! You can also click your tongue...you usually do it if I do it first.

You are a horrible sleeper, I am sorry to report. Just horrible. I don't think you even sleep more than 4 hours at a time. I don't know because looking at the clock is the last thing I think of when I am woken up for the umpteenth million time each night. I really, really, really wish you'd sleep better...then life would be perfect!!

You crawl around all over the place. You started out with tentative little crawl-scoots, but now you are a pro! You can get anywhere you want to go. You can even navigate the step-up in our living room to the rest of the house. That means you are not just confined to one room...you go everywhere. Your brothers are amazed, and get excited every time you crawl into another room. "Carly's crawling, " they'll shout!

You pulled to standing the other day on a little step stool. You actually took a couple of steps around it, too! But I have not seen you do it since.

You still nurse. And you don't really seem to like baby food for me. You'll eat it for Angela, but not for me...silly girl. But you do like "real people" food! You love cereal bars, and, spaghetti! (And pizza, cake and ice cream!)

You had your 9th month appointment on Friday--you are 16 pounds...that puts you in the 10% for weight. You were 50% at 4 months, 25% at 6 months, and now 10%. Dr Coco is not too worried, because, look at you...you are not skinny...you have lovely baby rolls all over! I think you are just going to be petite. Dr Coco thinks your eyes will stay blue!!

I might think of more later, but right now I am tired and I cannot think. Oh, by the way--you had rosceola this past week...high fever and rash. You are the only one of my kdis to have it, and my mom reminded me today that I had it, too! Like mother, like daughter!

I love you so much, silly bear!

Love,

Mommy

Happy Birthday, Ryan!

Three years ago today, a little boy named Ryan came to be. And all was good.


I will post more (and some pics!!) after Chuck E Cheese and cake tonight:

Ryan's birthday "party" at my Mom's and Dad's

Ryan looks sooooo much like Steve in this pic

Icing face!

Ryan's friend Isley at Chuck E Cheese

Ryan and his friend Halie, opening presents

Ryan and his friend Reed

Guess Who Crawled??!!

Carly, of course!!

She started crawling today while her brothers and I were cheering her on! Before those first tentative little crawls, she was stretching and reaching for something off limits, but seeing as she is Ryan's mini me, would I have expected anything less??

Go, Carly, go!!

You are getting so big, my sweet pea!

Months Five through Eight....

Five Months old....2/23/2009

Six Months old...3/23/2009

Seven Months old...4/23/2009

Eight Months old...5/23/2009

Smiles, smiles and more smiles...

Here are just some of my favorite pics of Carly during the month of May. I love her expressions in these photos...she has such a chssey grin...Gotta love it!

Sleeping Weirdos, umm, I mean "Beauties"

My children are strange, as evidenced by the recent sleeping habits of not one, but two, of my kiddos:

I walked in to wake Ryan up the other morning, only to find him like this:

How long he had been there, and how comfortable that really was, I have no clue...

A few days later, I put Carly in her swing. She fussed and screeched, and kept turning around to look at me, but I was trying to keep myself busy so she'd go to sleep without me. Suffice it to say, a little while later, I noticed she had been very quiet. That's when I found her like this:

And Carly says, "Ta-Da!!"

As I sit here and watch Carly play for what seems like hours on end (in reality, it's been maybe 15 minutes), I have come to a realization....I spend way too much on toys...LOL. She would prefer to play with a wipees box than anything else!

Carly had a couple of big "firsts" this weekend. She ate her first honest-to-goodness real people food! She ate a cereal bar that I cut up in to oh-so-teeny tiny pieces. And she loved it! She also has started to "talk". Before, it was always screeching, but now, she says "Nunununu." Aren't you proud?? LOL.

But the main big girl accomplishment is this: Carly can go from her tummy to sitting up (ta-da)!! We were so excited that we clapped and hip-hip-hoorayed for her. She had the biggest grin on her face, as if to say "you like me, you really do"!! She started doing it Friday night, so I know that crawling is not far behind. My baby is getting so big!! And I LOVE it!

Carly: Eight Months Old

Dear Carls,

Saturday you turned eight months old. Wow--how time does fly!! You are getting to be such a big girl as far as development, but you are still my tiny little munchin. Everywhere we go, people are amazed that you are "sitting up so well" and the you "are so alert." Yeah people, she can do all that and more... You are still so little that I guess people think you are much younger than eight months old, either that or they are idiots who have no clue about developmental milestones and the fact that eight month old babies *gasp* can be small! Your "unofficial" weight (meaning mommy steps on the scale with you and then without you) is 16 lbs. So I guess that is pretty small. I am used to your gargantuan brothers who were 20lbs each at 6 months of age. But, hey, you're a girl...it's OK to be petite!

You are still a breastfed baby. As far as I know, you don't have any immedicate plans for stopping...LOL. And you still only drink about 10-12 oz while I am at work. (And, shhhh...don't tell anyone, but I don't think your daddy really knows how to give you a bottle, because yesterday you only drank FOUR WHOLE OUNCES the entire 12.5 hours I was gone.) You do love your baby food...it doesn't matter what I feed you, you will gladly open your mouth for more. Peas??? Sure, mama. Peas AND sweet potatoes mashed together? Why not? You also love your puffies and your little banana cookies. I bought you one of those meshie things with a handle and put a banana in it, you loved it! I feed you baby food three times a day now, maybe that'll pack the weight on!

You got a new tooth, that makes two ont he bottom! You sit very well, and can go from sititng ot your tummy in no time flat! You roll over like a champ, too. You get on your hands and knnes and rock back and forth. I think you will crawl in a matter of days. But the funny thing is, I will put you down on the floor with your bucket o' toys, and look up to see that you are half way across the room reaching for paper, or kleenex or some Klingon warrier that your brothers have left on the floor. And you will still be sitting! It's like you just scoot around on your tushie until you get where you want.

Stranger anxiety has kicked in full force. You used to be so good when I dropped you off at church...now you cry almost the whole time. Poor baby, but mommy always comes back!

You are still not a good sleeper. But I tell myself that you are only little once, and this, too, shall pass. But after eight months of interrupted sleep, I feel like I am WELL overdue for some quality shut eye. There have been a couple of nights that you have only woken up once, but the norm is every 3-4 hours or so, you will wake up and want to eat. Maybe you are making up for the day, I don't know.

Other new stuff: you sorta wave to people, sometimes you say "hey" (or at least I think so!!) and you can clap...it's pretty darn cute!

Anyway--until next month, my dear!

Love you very, very much,
Mommy

Reflections

I have "discovered" a band, Addison Road, from Dallas that I love...so, of course, as is my nature, I googled them to find out whatever interesting tidbits I could. Anyway, the lead singer, Jenni, has her own blog. She recently had to have a c-section, and was blogging about how God had other plans for her. Here is an excerpt from that post that really spoke to my heart:

"He stops to be present in that surgery room watching with delight as His little daughter Anniston sees the world for the first time. I am convinced He smiles. He tears up. He is overwhelmed with her beauty and gentle spirit. He stops with me when I am looking at her trying to comprehend this little miracle. He lets me know that He is there. That he is amazed. He stops. "

All at once, the bitterness and sadness that I had held deep, deep inside from Carly's birth disappeared. I did NOT want a c-section. I just knew I was NOT going to have one, God was not going to let that happen. I prayed hard every night for God's will to be done, even though I really wanted my own will to be done. I did not "give it to God," even though I professed as much. The words coming out of my mouth were just lip service compared to the feelings deep in my heart.

Eight months later I *thought* I was over it, but I guess inside I still wondered "why?" Why did God not answer my prayers the way I wanted Him to. God knows my heart better than I do, and, today, He needed to remind me that He was there. That His will WAS done. That He stopped to be present in that sugery room watching with delight as His little daughter Carly saw the world for the first time. And now, for the first time I really do feel at peace.

Now instead of feeling "cheated" when I look at this picture, I marvel at the wonder that is Carly. That God gave me this little girl to grow under my heart for nine months. That THIS right here is the very first time I saw her. And that God's will was indeed done!

Carly update....

I write these things mainly to remind myself of the dates so I can go back and fill in her baby book later...I know, I know, I am cheating!

Her second tooth broke through Saturday, May 16th
Carly started clapping last week...May 13th
She can scoot now...pretty funny to see her scrunch all up and then go backwards!
Carly can also "semi" wave. She started waving last Friday (5/15), but I don't know if she realizes what it means!

More updates as they come!

True Ladies Man...

So today I was getting on to Ryan for hitting his brother for the umpteenth million time today. I got down on his level and was giving him a stern lecture.

"Ryan, hitting is unacceptable. If you hit brother again, you are going to time out."

Ryan looked me in the eye and said, "Mommy, your eyes are pretty. And your hair is pretty."

Oh my! Where did this *charm* come from and to start it at age two??!! Like he knows just what to say to diffuse the situation.

Ryan, little buddy, you learned a very valuable lesson today...flattery will get you EVERYWHERE!!

The downside of owning a home...

Steve called me at work the other day to tell me that one of the trees in our backyard fell down. We had been having pretty rainy, bad weather, and I guess the tree just couldn't hack it anymore. Fearing the worst, as Steve is prone to exaggerating just a little bit, this is what I cam home to:

Not as bad as I had imagined, but the tree did need to come down. The wood was rotted and we ran the risk of the rest of it falling (and possibly hitting the house), if we didn't cut it down. So we paid handsomely for some guys to come over and make tons of noise and mess with their chainsaws. End result:

It will take some time to get used to the yard being this bare and non-shady. And that ugly, old fence in the background?? It's now gone. Patrick from work built us a pretty, brand-spanking new fence. Pictures to follow.

So, as any homeowner knows, each action causes a domino effect of reactions. Tree falls down...pay to have tree removed...now that shade is gone, pay to have new windows installed to cut down on heat...pay to have new fence built since, now that tree is gone, imperfect old fence really stands out...new fence leads to probable new deck...probable new deck leads to new landscaping...oh, and since all this newness is going to lead to more time spent in the backyard, have to buy new swing set for kids and new lawn furniture for the adults. Yikes!! The simple act of a tree falling causes hemorrhage of cash...LOL!

"The Boss"

And, no, I am not talking about Bruce Springsteen!

The other day Ryan was ordering me around as he is wont to do these days. I told him that I was not his slave. You know what he said?

"Yes, I am the BOSS"

WHAT????! I honestly do not know where he learned that.

He really is turning into a bossy little thing. I don't really remember how the other boys were at this age (motherhood has a funny way of blurring the bad times), but I assume they were just as bossy. Must be a (almost) three year old thing.

Speaking of almost three, Ryan is excited that his birthday is coming up. He says he will be three and gets to eat cake. As a matter of fact, whenever anyone mentions his birthday, all he talks about is eating cake. Really, Ryan? Cake?? He is SO my child!!

The Princess Rolls....

Carly FINALLY rolled over from her tummy to her back tonight! And it only took her 7 1/2 months to get to this point...LOL! She has been rolling from her back to her tummy for a couple of weeks now, only to get "stuck" on her tummy. Oh how she does NOT like that. Makes her scream and cry. (Makes Mommy cry when it's in the middle of the night)

Anyway--tonight she was on her tummy playing, and when I turned back around, she was on her back. I wondered if one of the boys was messing with her, but, nope, Carly did it herself!! She spent the rest of the evening rolling over and over and over...she ended up across the room from all her rolling!!

So she can now officially roll however, whenever and wherever she wants!! I guess the Princess decided it was time to grace us mere peons with a new trick...such entertainment!

Carly's Six Month Pics

Here are Carly's sixth month pics, taken at Kiddie Kandids:

I LOVE this one...this is how she looks all the time...so smiley

Here's another of her "famous" looks:

This is one of my favs, such a serious little pose