"I Go Back"

I found this post in my draft box from MAY.  I'm sure I meant to post it and got caught up in moving without pushing "publish."  This girl changes so rapidly this is obviously out of date, but there are some cute pictures and cute stories in here....too much writing to let go to waste.  Take yourselves back two months...

I have just a few stories to share from the past week.

• Carly continues to exert her will and refuses to be fed.  Meal time can be very messy, but I think letting her be independent is worth it.  She is a pretty good eater, which is very nice, but can also exercise some major picky-ness.  She will love something one day, and refuse it the next...so it's kind of a game.  She rotates between green beans, broc and peas as her greens, and eats lots and lots of cheese.  She will eat a little bit of chicken and beans, but only a little bit.  The only food she consistently wants, besides cheese, are eggs.  I'm glad she enjoys something full of protein.  She loves chocolate and sweets and white breads.  The exact thing that has contributed to America's obesity.  She doesn't really care for fruits, but I also haven't been offering them as much (she now loves fruits...I took full advantage of them being in season this summer!).  They are about to be in season, though, so I'm excited to re-introduce some fruits.

• This week we finally decided to turn Carly around in the car.  She now faces forward and really enjoys that!  This is her showing me how big she is in her car seat.

• I am convinced that almost everything Carly knows is from reading.  From pointing to animals and making one of the animal noises she has learned from her books, to saying new words I know she's only learned from reading, the girl is sure soaking up life around her.  We were reading a book about shapes the other day and the last page reads, "hearts! I love you!"  She leaned over and gave her book a kiss!  Awe, that melted my heart.  I wonder how she knows kissing and I love you are related?  Just kidding...I don't wonder how she knows that. ;)
• Carly has found herself a BEST FRIEND, and will run in place clapping when she sees Erica.  Erica is 2 months older than Carly and is the third child of the family who leads our Bible Study.  The entire family has been such a blessing to us over the past 2 months, as we are new to their group!  Carly can barely stand it when she sees us pull up to their house, and plays so well the entire time.  Elizabeth was kind enough to watch Carly last week when I got asked to come into work on my day off and she said the girls had a blast.  Carly also was happy to stay in the nursery for the first time on Sunday because Erica was in there! 
• Carly loves her stuffed animals.  She carries them all over the house and will roll on the ground hugging the larger ones.  As I've been packing, I've realized she has more than I thought, but she loves all of them!  She has also started using her monkey as a pillow, and wants him/her to be near her face.  It's all pretty sweet.
• This week our little family took an afternoon trip to EPCOT.  Carly was not in a very good mood, but was completely intrigued when we set foot on the Figment attraction.  I know my sister-in-law, who is a big fan, will appreciate these pictures.

• While we were at EPCOT, we found a quite little garden in China to sit at while we drank our Oo-long tea slush.  I tried my very best to get a cute photo of Carly, but she insisted on eating her crackers instead. 

• My favorite this about Carly right now is her ability to be agreeable.  Somehow, she has decided that nodding her head, yes, is asking for something nicely.  It's so adorable and a great form of communication.  If she is demanding something, I will say, "can you ask nicely please" to which she will usually stop screaming and nod her head in the most dramatic way.  She also answers, yes, to most of my questions, which is just lovely.  She doesn't always realize what she has just agreed to, and sometimes takes it back, but it's cute nevertheless.  She can verbally say the word, yes, but only does so when she's super excited about something.  She has no learned the word, no, but is very good at shaking her head when need be.

I need to be better about writing down the small cognitive developments Carly continues to have.  She has been adding to her vocabulary and does things on a daily basis that surprise me.  I get so caught up in documenting what I have photos of, the events that happen in our lives, that sometimes I forget to remember to write about her ever-changing self.  I suppose that's what those monthly, or now bi-monthly posts are for. :)

"On the Pontoon"

I've actually been waiting to use this title since last summer when this song by Little Big Town came out.  I thought, surely we will make it to Clear Lake again and I will get to write about the 25 years I've been going to this special place.  I have so many memories at Clear Lake I can't even begin to write about them all.  My Grandpa & Grandma have had a place there for as long as I can remember...first was a condo, then about 10 years ago they built right on the lake.  We would go up every 4th of July and stay the weekend, celebrating with the entire Stubbs side of the family.  In all honesty, my memories consist of two things: my grandparents and the boat.  Grandma used to pack us all lunch (back before there were too many of us...probably before Tiff's time) and we'd spend the entire day on the lake.  We'd watch all the adults ski, then my dad would make me get in and try, too.  I always succeeded but the water was so cold and I didn't enjoy the pressure.  We'd tube and we'd put the canopy up and just catch some rays.  Grandpa was always the captain, and frequently wore a hat that I would have to take off and comb down his hair when we got back to the condo.  I think my favorite memories of my Grandpa are at Clear Lake.  I am always reminded of him when I'm there...I think it was one of his favorite places to be.  Last week was the 4th anniversary of his death, and I sat and remembered all the times he wrestled with me, let me be his co-captain on the boat, talked to me about the importance of modesty, even when choosing a swim suit, took me out for an early breakfast, tried to dump Eric and I off the tube and pulled me skiing behind him.  Saying goodbye to Grandpa 4 years ago was the toughest goodbye I've ever experienced and I miss him dearly.  I'm thankful he was at our wedding...and I wish he could see that Carly is just like me.  Praise God for such wonderful memories!

Since we've moved to Florida, we've missed out on Clear Lake, but this year it was my goal to make it up and introduce my baby to a place that is so dear to my heart.  Brian was not able to join us, as he had to fly back to work, but it was a really nice weekend.  Carly will enjoy the lake more and more each year, but this time was a bit rough as she did not enjoy or understand why she had to wear a life jacket.  The first day there we buckled her in and took her out to the doc for a swim.  We got on the tube and captured these two photos before the tears of the third photo struck.

Poor Carly!

We swim here in Florida ALL the time...and the girl has never had to wear a life jacket, so can you really blame her for being confused?  So...we stayed off the boat and the wave runner and just went for walks on the dock every now and then.  I didn't make her wear a life jacket on the dock but only because I carried her at all times.  It's just too risky otherwise...the water is too dark and the currents are unpredictable.  Next year she will do better. :)

She had a BLAST being inside though.  There was mad chaos of family coming in and out at all times and she just loved observing it all and having a so many people to play with.  At one point we had 3 different tables of 500 going on...

She got really great quality time with Nana & Grammy the first day, and then was pretty much attached to Mimi and Papa the second day.  She enjoyed eating all the food, particularly the homemade ice cream.  I'd say ice cream is definitely her favorite food.

Patricia Ann (Grammy) & Carly Ann in their matching shirts

Haha...notice my Dad's facial expression!

I did get to spend a few hours both days with Anna, someone whose been my best friend since we were 9 or 10 years old.  Her family has a place at the lake, as well, so it was the perfect scenario for us to spend some time catching up in person.  I also have lots of lake memories with Anna from the past 15 years...including jumping off the wave runner into the lake and swimming over to her boat to announce that Brian & I were engaged...or learning how to wake board for the first time!  This time around, however, we enjoyed watching all the cousins who could go on a bumpy boat (I stayed clear for fear of hurting my littlest babe) move from tube to tube (3 is a lot to pull behind a boat at one time!) and enjoyed laying on a tube in the water. It is always, always a blessing to be in her company. :)

Tube chaos...Austin, Brandon, Damon, Trey, Tiff & Megan!

Well there you have it...a fabulous trip to Clear Lake; the first of many posts about our fun 2 week vacation to Iowa. :) 

"She Was Born To Fly" {16 Months}

I'm going to make this short and sweet, being that Carly is actually past the 17 month mark, but I did want to highlight a the hilarious photo shoot we attempted and also a few things that we most delighted in about having a 16 month old toddler.

I re-read my post about her being 14 months old and had to laugh thinking how much both of us have changed the past 2-3 months.  I think 14 months was the perfect age...as I wrote about her I was completely enamored with her.  Now days I'm much a bit overwhelmed and often confused by her.  She's a joy and I do love her, but she keeps us on our toes!  She learned to run right at 16 months and that alone keeps us busy when we are in public.  We're still fairly attached and she chooses me over anyone else the majority of the time, but she is MUCH more independent than she was the last time I wrote about her.  Well..here it goes...just a few highlights...

• Carly prefers singing over reading most of the time and loves to dance when she hears music
• She's a girlie-girl and enjoys wearing bows, pretty dresses, and trying on my jewelry.  She will get herself all dressed up, put her hand to her face as if she's showing off a fresh manicure and say, "Hi."  I also taught her how to pose for pictures...and she'll wrap her arms around herself and smile.
• Outside is still her favorite territory and we visit frequently (she brings us her shoes a million times/day)...although she realizes it's hot and will request to go inside once she reaches her sweat capacity.
• She never ever sits still, ever.
• She LOVES to eat...but has grown very partial to fruit, eggs, cold cut meat and cheese, leaving most other things behind but is willing to try whatever is set down on her tray
• Has no interest in TV unless there is some hip hop music involved (she hasn't been real exposed to kids TV, anyway, but when we do turn it on she walks right by)
• Can say new words almost everyday but says "Hi, Mama, Dada, Banana, Go, and Yes" the most
• Up to 16 months she continued to take 2 naps/day and sleep 10.5 hours at night...napped from 10-11ish and 4-5ish with a bedtime of 8:30pm.  Her schedule was sabotaged by moving and vacation amongst other things...so a month later we are still working on being scheduled and predictable.
• And what she did most from 14-16 months...spent time in the WATER!  She's in love, that's all there is too it!

If I write too much more...I will begin to focus on what she does and enjoys now vs what she enjoyed right at 16 months, so I will leave it at that.  I'm sure her 18-month entry will be rather comprehensive.  I really will someday enjoy looking back on these entries, probably sooner than later as I prepare for another infant.  I'm sure I'll need reminders about what is to be expected/how to be flexible in each stage.  Here is the funniest chain of pictures we've had so far...she was practicing her stubbornness and did NOT want to cooperate with me. I kept saying, "Just sit up, please...." and she would purposely fall to one side or the other!  HA!

Fav!

 And we did get two that I suppose will count as being acceptable...

You just gotta love her.  She's full of personality, enjoys life and exudes happiness so much of the time.  She's a smart girl whose becoming more and more intuitive.  We're a happy trio and continually learning how to have balance in life alongside one another. :)

"It's A Double Blessing"

Brian, Carly and I are excited to announce that come January our family will grow in size!  We are somewhere between 12-14 weeks along and getting to the doctor is certainly on our to-do list!  One of my best friends is coming to town next week, so I figure I'll go when I have her to wrangle Carly.  We couldn't be more excited that God has entrusted us with another one of this precious children and are looking forward to introducing our children to one another.  I think I'm headed into my 13th week, but I started feeling movement about 4 days ago which leads me to believe we may be farther along than I thought...or there are two little ones in there.  Only an ultrasound will tell us for sure. :)

Here's our official announcement! We had a lot of fun capturing these photos!

And for your enjoyment, a little Q&A about this pregnancy:

1. Have you been sick?

Yes...I have had very similar nausea to what I had with Carly, although I have it in the evenings rather than in the mornings.  I can tell when it hits 5pm each day based on how I feel.  For any normal person, I think evening sickness is much easier to deal with that morning sickness, but for someone who works frequently until 2am, feeling sick an hour into my shift is very difficult.  If I can get myself into bed before 10pm, I will make it through the day without blowing chunks, but its pretty much a guarantee that if I'm up past then I will have a visit to the toilet or trashcan.  Kind of a bummer, but such is carrying a baby, and I'm more than pleased to do so.  I also have extremely bad headaches, but that isn't entirely new, just been intensified with the pregnancy.

2. Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?

Honestly, I can't bring myself to decide that I would prefer one gender over another.  I think there will be positives and negatives to either just because they will only be 23 months apart.  I will, however, totally admit that I would like to experience walking through life with both a boy and a girl.  They are presented with such different opportunities, feelings and experiences, that I want each gender in my family. :)

3. Are you having cravings?

Other than an initial chocolate chip cookie craving followed a few days later by Olive Garden bread sticks craving, I haven't had anything that I've just had to have immediately.  I do, however, pretty much live on fresh fruit, yogurt, Luna protein bars, cereal and cold meat sandwiches.  Those are the only items that sound good at any time.  Much, much better than the McDonalds "chicken" nuggets, pizza and white bread that I craved with Carly! Perhaps I won't put on 65 pounds this time??

This pregnancy has overall been pretty different, although my external factors are also quite different.  I'm not working full time, we have a toddler, we are in a more stable place, financially/emotionally/spiritually/mentally...you get the picture, we live in a better location and we've walked this road before.  I know how to be pregnant this time around and I'm ready to face the challenges that come along with that.  I know now that I dislike the symptoms that come with pregnancy, but I LOVE carrying a baby.  And I will choose to focus on that, plus the enormous blessing of another life to love that God has given us. :)

"What A Beautiful Mess"

EdelWeiss is up and running again!  I am to the point that I almost hesitate writing because I have way too much to catch up on and do not have the time to do so.  But, fortunately there is no written rule on how often one updates his/her blog or with how much information, so that takes the pressure off. ;) 

The past...6 weeks (probably longer) have been everything but real life.  I think "overwhelmed" is the first word that comes to mind, along with an array of other words depending on the subject.  Let me give you a timeline of what EdelWeiss has been doing since May.

May 11th: I come home from work at midnight and am craving chocolate chip cookies so bad that I make them and bake them, from scratch, in the dark.  I think...ut oh. ;)

May 16th: I am craving Olive Garden breadsticks badly enough that I convince Brian & Carly to come take me out to lunch.  I had 5 or 6.

May 19th: My period does not show it's face...I know I'm pregnant...and am a bit giddy about it despite also being a little nervous.

May 21st: I have to put my mind at ease...so I take a test.  WE'RE HAVING A BABY!  Daddy comes home from work with a bouquet of flowers because our 4 year anniversary is the following day and I am chopping veggies in the kitchen with my back toward him.  I leave a note on the counter that reads, "Make room, Daddy, I'm moving in! Love, Baby #2."  He reads the note and greets me with my favorite flowers while wrapping his arms around me and tears streaming down my face.  A very precious moment.

May 22nd: We head to Clearwater Beach to celebrate being married 4 years

May 30th: We get a call that we will be closing on our Whittridge home within the next week (despite two weeks earlier hearing it could be another 90 days)

June 2nd: The nausea sets in and every fiber of my body hurts with exhaustion.  I push through to attempt to get some packing done.

June 5th: Brian's parents arrive and we load up a truck well into the middle of the night, finishing in 5 hours then heading to bed during a tropical storm.

June 6th: Brian and I head to the attorney's office to sign the closing documents...then I drive to work while Brian and his folks unpack our truck at our new home in the midst of a tropical storm.  The rest of the weekend was spent cleaning (I was at worked all weekend....Brian's parents were rockstars in all that they did to help us) and unpacking/setting up furniture.  Here's a glimpse of what the house looked like. :)

We were in the house for about 10 days and then left for Iowa for two weeks and have been back for exactly a week.  I am starting to feel like this house is our home and I am so in love with the area, the people and the amenities.  I've found a running route that is the perfect distance for this pregnant mama and feel much better when I can muscle up the strength to get my shoes on, load Carly in the stroller and out the door.  We couldn't be more excited to welcome our new baby into his or her own room come January.  This house is just perfect for a growing family.  Now if I can only get some photos up on the wall and get the rest of the boxes unpacked!  I'd say I've done fairly well being that I nap with Carly nearly everyday to make up for the sleep I miss on my weekends that I close at work.  I don't feel well in the slightest, but I'll talk about that when I talk more about this pregnancy. I hope to post an official announcement in the next few days.  I am doing my best to clean, do daily chores, unpack, get rest, spend time with Carly, have play dates, go on outings and do more cleaning, but I feel that I fall short on a daily basis.  Brian has been so aware of my feelings and my limits and has really stepped up to the plate in taking care of the things I cannot.  I wonder how any single mom can be pregnant and take care of a toddler.  It's hard, hard work.  I am still wondering how many "cleans" it will take before I feel like the dirt I pick up is our dirt rather than the previous owner's.  I remember feeling that way when we moved into Silver Palms, as well. 

All in all, I have a million things on my to-do list but if I can make it through the day without blowing chunks and a smile on Carly's face from a fun day, along with dinner on the table and the house picked up, it's deemed a successful day!  A new house, a new baby, a growing toddler, a wonderful trip to Iowa and a God who has blessed us abundantly! Our hearts and our hands are quite full. :)