simply stapler

Forever Friends

2010-07-24T16:43:00.028-05:00

Summer 2010 has been both hot and refreshing.Neither the 100 degree heat or Eli's broken elbow has kept us from enjoying spending time together as a family, or spending time with great friends. Eli's cast comes off on Thursday and from July 29 until August 31st, we will then be spending everyday at the pool (or so I have promised Eli). Some of the most memorable moments of the spring and summer have been visits with longtime friends. I am blessed to have childhood and college friends as some of my closest friends on earth, and it is exciting to be able to share motherhood with them as well.
My college roommates my senior year at Auburn (Mary, Kimper and Sarah missing). This was our 2nd year to all get together and this year I hosted. 10 days later and I am still finding pieces of hotdog around my house :). Between the 6 of us, we have 11 kids under the age of 5 and Ansley Caroline in utero!

Addison Crawford and Caroline who won the prize for drinking the most juice boxes. Automatic playmates... Our visit to see Kristin's new baby girl, Lillie Mathis
Eli and Carter Brown giving each other some brotherly love.
Eli and Rylee Reynolds.... gotta love a girl with a John Deere.
Caroline and Kade Reynolds Howdy Partner!

Caroline's LOVES to give Jackson Gibson bear hugs. I don't think Jackson loves it quite as much as she does.

The Stone's lakehouse with Lillie and Jackson Gibson and Robert and Olivia Stone. Pool.... here we come again!!!!!!!

Smokin'

2010-06-19T10:49:00.029-05:00

Smoky Mountain Trip 2010: Always" smokin: when you have the whole Kyle clan together- or when you have Scott in the kitchen who graciously won the record for setting the fire alarm off the most number of times. We started our summer off with a wonderful vacation with the fam. Thanks Mom and Dad for lots of memories! Caylen: enjoy the Golden Spatula while you can. It will soon be whisked away......
Abram Falls- and forget about a good family photo after a 2.5 mile hike up....

My favorite little boy

My favorite big boy

1st day of make-up

"I feel pretty, oh so pretty." Now... giddy up.... (Dollywood)

Seriously, does this quack go any faster????

Sisterly love

WAKE UP!

Lovin some Emmy

Caroline, I would be scared too....

We made it!!

Meeps

Peeps

The Chimney's

Cookies.... I see cookies....

Oh yeah... who just hiked 5 miles.....

Watch out lady friends...

Cold daddy.

Blown Away

2010-06-04T16:15:00.014-05:00

Literally...... On my birthday in January, Scott surprised me with a special treat. I could choose to go with him to either Chicago or DC after tax season for a long fun weekend. Afraid of running into Obama and his possies, I gladly chose the Windy City. So, on April 14th, I said "hasta la vista baby" to my last tax return and began packing up. We were going to drive to Birmingham Wednesday night and wake up and meet my parents in Clanton at 8:30am to drop off the kiddos. At 9pm Wed. night I tell Scott to check the tickets to make sure we were all set. Scott had made most of the plans for the trip since I was so busy with work. We then discovered that our flight didn't leave at 1pm (in Huntsville) as we originally thought, it left at 11am. At this point I am physically and emotionally drained, and I just tell Scott we might as well cancel the trip because I am not able to drive all throughout the night to drop the kids off with my parents and I hated to make them drive through the night to meet us 1/2 way. (Seriously, am I 90???) I think he at this point wanted to drop me off with my parents and take the kids on a trip.... Anyway, Mom tells me to ditch my pity party and get in the car and meet them 1/2 way. Long story longer, we agree and at 1am we meet mom and dad in a parking lot off the interstate in Prattville. The kids were sound asleep, but Eli woke up as we put him in dad's car. As they pulled off, he sleepily looked at me and blew me a kiss, and I just lost it. Needless to say, Scott is really pumped up about our trip at this point.... We woke up early the next morning to get on the road to head back to the airport in Huntsville. I didn't feel so great, but decided to be in a better mood. That lasted until the Lakeshore exit when I asked Scott to pull over so I could throw up. Nice. Threw up again a little later and thought the trip was over. We rushed home, I popped a nausea pill, rushed back to the airport, hopped on the plane, made it to Memphis without puking, felt better, ate a potato, kissed Scott, flight cancelled to Chicago-- maintenance, got on another flight, made it to Chicago, oops- our luggage didn't, went to dinner, back to hotel, changed into my complimentary Delta t-shirt and brushed teeth with complimentary "toothbrush", went to sleep, woke up next morning, bags in lobby, and the rest is happily ever after.....
Windy day in the windy city...

My most patient friend......

My motto for the trip.....

My kids have the laugh part down on this one---- the others are works in progress...

Tulips were EVERYWHERE. It was beautiful!

Outside our hotel.

Happy Amy.

Happy Scott. (promise)

He Captured it Perfectly....

2010-05-12T21:29:00.007-05:00

My mother's day gift from my sweet hubby...... surprise pictures of the best things in my life...

I could not have asked for a better gift that truly captures the joy I get from being a mom.

Thank you Daddy, Eli and Caroline. Love you..... infinity and beyond!!!!

Success

2010-04-29T20:17:00.001-05:00

Baby Thomas is out of surgery and it was a success. Now our focus should be prayers of healing...... yeah!!!

Update on Thomas

2010-04-29T13:10:00.002-05:00

The surgery is underway and has been successful thus far. Minimal blood loss. Please keep praying for this baby!!! His parents are updating every few hours via his Caringbridge site (see link in post below).

Prayer Warriors Needed

2010-04-27T08:25:00.006-05:00

Friends,

There is a little boy named Thomas Summers who needs your prayers. He's cuddly, he's cute, he's 6 weeks old, and ......he's going to have 1/2 his brain removed on Thursday.

His father, Stuart, is a childhood friend of my husband. Stuart and his wife Chris also have a 3 year old boy named Forest. You can go to his caringbridge site at www.caringbridge.org/visit/thomassummers to find out all the details and to follow Thomas' progress. There have only been about 10 surgeries of this magnitude for a child this small--- EVER. The Summers family lives in Birmingham and the surgery will take place at UAB. The surgery will be about 48 hours in total, and if he lives through the surgery, he could possibly live a normal life with the remaining half of his brain taking over the functions of the other.

To break your heart even further, let me give you some more background on this family.....

Seven years ago, Stuart's sister gave birth to a beautiful little boy. All was joyous until several hours later Christy began having some complications. 24 hours after the birth of her son, she was dead from toxic poisoning. (this happens VERY rarely). Fast forward to last week. Stuart's mother and father found out about Thomas' condition and started the drive from Huntsville to Birmingham to see the baby. Mrs. Dot began developing a bad headache and they turned around and went to the hospital. Her blood pressure had sky-rocketed, causing a stroke, and she was hospitalized until yesterday. Scott and I visited with her in the hospital and she seems to be better and in good spirits.

Needless to say, this family has been broken. This family needs a miracle. Please pray for one this Thursday.....

Doing Our Thing

2010-04-12T21:24:00.006-05:00

We eat sand. We play in dirt. We make silly faces. It's everyday life.

Whew!

2010-04-08T07:37:00.001-05:00

I'm making progress. 2 new posts below. 2 more to go....

How Big is Eli?

2010-04-08T07:19:00.010-05:00

Well, apparently not that big...... We visited the Montgomery Zoo with Meeps and Peeps the end of March, and both Eli and Caroline felt right at home. Caroline's favorite thing to do is growl, so she fit right in with the the tigers, and Eli likes to act silly, so he was most at home with the chimpanzees. Honestly, they were both great and were entertained the entire time we were there. It had been almost a year (wow) since we took them to the Columbia Zoo, and this trip he was interested in actually learning about the animals and their habitats. So, if you want to know the fastest animal on the earth, just give Eli a call....

Beautiful Day

2010-04-08T07:02:00.012-05:00

Easter Sunday. A day to forget about Obama-care. A day to celebrate. A day to remember that the government will not have the ultimate victory because HE arose! The battle has already been won, and I am thankful to be on the winning side.

Beautiful hair :o), beautiful smiles, a beautiful day.

Flashback- Winter 2010

2010-03-13T12:44:00.019-06:00

A few distractions have delayed me from my weekly blogging. In no particular order....

1) tax season. For the love people... just extend....
2) basketball season.... 3 weeks and counting until I have my husband and my tv shows back...
3) Satan's virus... aka the stomach bug
4) RSV- 3 initials I hope to never see together again.... respiratory virus-- the kids were quarantined from other people for 7 days. I'll be happy to never see another episode of Yo Gabba Gabba in my life.
5) Moving my grandparents into a retirement home. This was a HUGE blessing and we love their new home!

In all the chaos and crumminess we had many "simply stapler" moments, and a few are captured below.

Very proud moment of writing his name.

All Caroline does theses days....

Eli is VERY appreciative of Caroline's wet kisses.

Seriously, how many snow days are we going to get in Huntsville? I think school will have to go until July to make up for all of them... Eli made "Aubie the Snowman"

Not to be confused-- it's still winter.....

Milwaukee Bucks vs Atlanta Hawks. One of Scott's closest friends is a coach for the Bucs.

Lesson #4567- Don't take a 1 year old to an NBA game. The loud rap music and 1/2 dressed dancers only amuse them for a moment....

The Best of Eli

2010-02-10T13:25:00.005-06:00

The Best "Eli Sayings" from the past year (age 2 until now-- 2/8/2010).

1) When asking Eli to help me carry a comforter to the upstairs closet, struggling, Eli yells, "Mommy, this is a REALLY big bia-bia." (what he calls his blanket).

2) On our way out to the car for Wednesday night church, Eli runs back to into the house. "Eli, what's wrong," I say. "Mommy, I have to go back and get my word of God."

3) Eli and I are heading out to Auburn for recruiting interviews I am doing for my work. Eli frantically shouts, "Oh no Mommy, turn around. I forgot my shaker....."

4) As Caroline is crawling up the stairs, "Mommy, you better get up there and spank that girl."

5) Saying his nightly prayers with Scott, " Dear God, Thank you for my food, thank you for Mommy, and Daddy, and Caroline, and thank you God for letting me tell Mommy and Daddy when Caroline is crawling up the stairs."

6) After a lesson on learning to love people but hate the devil Eli says, "Emily, I think I kinda like the devil."

7) When walking into the Five Guys Burger and Fries Eli shouts, "Oh no Meeps, where are the five guys?"

8) Every night when I tuck Eli into bed, "Mommy, wrap me around....."

9) Anytime the letter "E" appears on the tv screen, "Whoa, how did my name get in the tv?"

10) When congratulating one of Scott's boys that he works out on doing a great job in a basketball game, Eli runs up to him and says, "Johnny, great game, wanna come to my new house?"

11) On his way home from a basketball game with Scott: "Daddy, when I get bigger, I am going to do all that basketball stuff like all those big boys."

12) After playing football for the first time with another little boy and seeing a football game on tv: "Mommy, look at those boys playing football and tackling just like me and Nathan."

13) On our way out somewhere I looked in the mirror and commented how I looked really rough. Eli then says, "Mommy, you look really pretty, and I look really pretty too."

14) "Mommy, I don't feel good. My tummy hurts. I think I need some candy to help me feel better."

15) Visit with Santa Claus 2009: "Santa, I would like cars and trucks... and underwear please."

16) Auburn Fight Song: "War Eagle, fly down the hill....."

17) "I can't wear that shirt. It might make me get sick."

18) "Eli, are you going to make Meeps a Valentine after you make Peeps one?" "No, Mommy, she has already had her birthday."

19) "Mommy, you can't go outside. You're a girl and daddy and me are boys. Only boys can go."

20) Taking off his Halloween costume, his Uncle Eric makes a comment about how he likes his underwear. Eli then proceeds to pull his underwear down and says, "And you wanna see what else I got?"

21) Eating after church this past Sunday and OUT of the blue Eli says," So Daddy, how are those workouts going for you at D1?" Fine Eli, thank you. "And Mommy, how is work going for you?" Great Eli, thank you for asking. "And Mommy and Daddy, how was your class today?"

So many more I could post... but these are our favorites.

A Room Filled with Angels

2010-01-25T12:50:00.005-06:00

Scott and I recently attended the Fellowship of Christian Athlete's Marriage Conference in Huntsville. I think it was the best conference I have ever attended and the first conference in which I thought I wished it had lasted just a little longer. (my friends know that I am not so much a "sleep over" kind of gal). There were so many take-aways that I will share maybe later, but one that I want to share with you now.

Sometimes I am gripped with fear at how I will die--an accident? cancer? cruise ship drowning? over-indulgence of pickle juice?? At the conference, singers Jonathan and Lisa Moore led our praise and worship. Very talented couple with sincere hearts and a passion for music and for Jesus. Jonathan told us a story of a conversation he had with a cousin about the passing of the cousin's mother. "Cousin Roy" said that his mother was eaten with cancer. His brother's and sister's knew that her time was very short and she was in and out of consciousness. On this particular night, all the brothers and sisters had other obligations and could not stay overnight in the hospital with their mom. As they were debating about what to do outside of her hospital room, they heard their frail and weak mom shout "ya'll go home tonight, I'm going to be all right. Don't you see the angels? No, mama, they said. We don't see any angels. Well, sweet darlings, mama said, they are all around me......"

Hearing that story brought me peace. How wonderful to think of angels surrounding us and singing to us as we pass from this life to the next. One more thing on my list to look forward to...

Click on the link below to hear the song that the Moore's wrote about this story.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=1HXHHft0F5U

Freeze

2010-01-13T14:35:00.010-06:00

I have finally come out of hibernation enough to post pictures of our winter wonderland last week. When it gets cold, I tend to stay 1) in the bathtub, or 2) among the covers of about 2o blankets. A little more challenging with 2 kids, but we managed to stay warm. Today it is near 50 degrees and it feels like shorts weather! Hurry up Spring!!!!!

Christmas Past

2010-01-08T15:22:00.019-06:00

Woo hoo!! A hospital free Christmas!! After Eli's ER visit in 2007 and Caroline's arrival in 2008, our Christmas 2009 was hospital free and full of "magic moments." I took many more mental pictures than actual pictures because it is impossible to capture the excitement in Eli's voice analyzing how Santa will make it down Peep's chimney, or the thankfulness in our heart's as we celebrated the birth of our Christmas Eve baby. We were all together for the first time since David and Caylen's wedding, and for one of the first time's in my life, we had no real agenda. We didn't have to. It was enough just being in the same room together and laughing at each other and telling stories of Christmas pasts. It was a great way to end a very blessed year. A very happy Peeps....

One thing is for sure..... Caroline is going to hold her own...

Sibling love.

Christmas Eve and one last try to take the ornaments off the tree...

Eli stayed awake until about 11:30pm Christmas Eve. He kept telling us to be quiet because he thought he heard Rudolph on the roof.

Uh hello---- how long do we have to wait for Aunt Emily to brush her hair????

My favorite moment of Christmas-- the excitement and innocence of a 3 year old....

Caroline's stash. I was worried that Eli would rather have her stuff.

Luckily, I was wrong. He loved what Santa brought him!

Christmas morning. Caroline's favorite gift: wrapping paper.

All together again.

A moment alone..... (yeah right :)

Caroline deposited a very nice Christmas present in her pants..

Home sweet home.

Love Was Born at Christmas

2009-12-16T15:57:00.002-06:00

Love was born at Christmas. This takes on triple meaning for us because not only do Scott and I celebrate the birth of our Savior, but we celebrate the births of our children, both born in December. During this holiday season there is so much to celebrate, and more importantly, so much to be thankful for. I have posted a slideshow that replays the events of our family over the last 2 weeks. We had a small combined party for the kids this past weekend and we are grateful to our family and friends for making the trip to come celebrate this special time with us. The toys in the house are overwhelming-- which is only going to get much worse in 9 days! Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday to my babies!

Happy Birthday also to my sweet mom, Kristy, Brooke, and Lindsey!!!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Christmas Cheer

2009-12-03T17:26:00.012-06:00

It's the most wonderful time of the year. The time when our eyes twinkle in merry wonder, we "accidently forget" to check our bank account balance, and pictures of me seem to always come out with red-eye that can't be removed because it's not from the camera! Two children with December babies, a mother with a December birthday, Christmas, whew, getting tired already.... BUT it is the most wonderful time because we have so much to celebrate!! Having young children lets me feel like a little kid all over again. I just wish my daddy still paid for everything!! Santa, I believe.... I believe!!!!!!
Dear Santa, I would like to have all the toys....

Eli: Santa, I want cars and trucks, and uh.... would you come home with us?

Caroline: Santa is kind of a bore. Santa: Finally, a kid that can't talk....

Good smile = Getting everything I want....

Can I eat him???

Hope this Frosty doesn't melt......

On Dancer, on Prancer, On Dasher and Vixon

And please notify 911 that Eli is driving........

Working 9 til...11

2009-12-01T17:04:00.007-06:00

Sweet Caroline--- the last 3 months you have kept us really working... working to keep you off the steps, working to keep you in your bed at night, and working to keep up with your speed crawling-- and now possibly walking... as of today you have taken 12 steps in a row. Your favorite expression is "uh oh" when you purposely throw things on the floor. We can't exactly get you to say bye-bye to anyone, and I suspect it is because you can't possibly imagine why anyone would want to leave you to go anywhere. Needless to say, you love people and love social activities. At Thanksgiving you did your own performance where you told all of us that you were "SO BIG". You kept raising your hands over and over again because you enjoyed the explosion of applause you received from all your grandparents.
You are easy to please- except when hungry, and when you are put in your highchair, you're all business. So far, you eat just about anything which continues to make your brother very happy- especially when he can feed you something off his plate that he doesn't want.

You call for Daddy all the time, and call for "ma ma ma ma" when you are mad or upset. You had some great quality time with your Dad and me while Eli was in Disneyworld and we loved every minute of you having our undivided attention.

You represent everything good in this world, and we love you with all of our hearts.

Loving Life

2009-11-23T09:37:00.002-06:00

That is Eli.... loving life in Disneyworld right now with my Mom and Dad. At 10pm last night (11pm their time) my mom called to tell me that Eli had "worn them out." They had been at Magic Kingdom all morning, and at 3pm they told Eli they should all go take a nap. Eli told them matter of factly,"Meeps there are just too many things..." (to do he means). At 10pm they finally dragged him out of the park only after him saying repeatedly, "just 2 more things, just 2 more things."

Don't we all wish we had that much energy???

Hopefully some new pictures to post this week. Caroline is here with Scott and me and REALLY enjoying playing with all of Eli's toys!

"Falling" in Love

2009-11-04T09:22:00.001-06:00

Make a Smilebox slideshow

I'm Back!

2009-10-27T10:25:00.002-05:00

Physically-- not mentally. It's been so busy that if I don't get with it and do laundry soon I will be forced to find my swimsuit bottoms (don't act like that hasn't happened to you..... :o). Seriously though, Scott and I just got back from a week trip to Las Vegas where I had a business trip and then we drove to the desert to see David and Caylen in Phoenix. (Las Vegas is the desert too I guess, but we were staying at the Four Seasons and were surrounded by palm trees (correction- Scott was surrounded by palm trees) so we didn't notice as much)). The day before we left, we spent our first night IN OUR NEW HOUSE!!!!!!!!!! Whoopee!!! Love the house, not the unpacking. 5th move in 5 years-- not planning on doing it again for A LONG time!!!

We don't have Internet at the house because Comcast is incompetent and cannot tell us when they expect to come, so once the mothership is back and running I have cute pictures to post from our many events over the past few weeks. Eli went to his first Auburn game 2 weeks ago. Unfortunately, the team didn't show up, but Eli was most enthused by the bucket of popcorn he ate himself, the band, and the "really big TV."

Caroline is close to walking and I am close to a mental breakdown. Not really, but it really has made me appreciate the stage where you can just set them somewhere and they don't move. She is talking and patty caking and enough of the jabber, I will post pictures of her soon.

I just wanted to give you an update. Talk soon!

The Fabulous Five

2009-10-09T14:32:00.008-05:00

Five years ago today I became an office supply necessity..... a Stapler. I love everything about being a Stapler, and I love the transformations in my life as a result of marrying Scott. For example, I have developed a strong appreciation for basketball and kicking Scott's butt in the NCAA March Madness bracket, I've become much more mellow during adversity, and I have developed a much deeper love for carbs and fine cuisine. As a result, I blame my husband for the excess dimples on my thighs. I have learned to try to take life one day at a time because the journey is never as you expected it would be. In the midst of it all, we have both seen firsthand that God always provides you with a flashlight and a navigation system so that you will never feel alone or lost for too long. I never thought that I would live 2 years of my life on the ocean far away from family, nor did I ever think that I would experience the loss that comes from losing a child in miscarriage. However, those events helped develop who we are today and definitely made us more dependent on each other and our Savior. We have had many ups, some downs, and always joy.

I am thankful to be married to someone who is so funny and quirky and paticular and easy-going. I am glad that he has taken my advice on getting rid of all of his XL shirts that went down to his knees, his $55 haircuts, and his need to get out 45 different pans when he cooks. NOW, if I could only get him to see that wearing black socks to bed is not sexy....

Thank you Scott for loving me--so good--- you are my #1 favorite, and I love you... infinity and beyond!!!

She "EIGHT" Alot!

2009-09-17T13:58:00.008-05:00

My 2 year old might be on a hunger strike, but not my 8 month old! Caroline loves to eat anything, and everything. (and she has 4, almost 6 teeth) We order a happy meal for Eli and almost every time Caroline seems to go ahead and take care of it for him. We were so cautious about what Eli ate, and now with our 2nd, well, let's just say we TRY really hard.... Eli has really enjoyed the fact that she eats alot. "Eli, did you eat all of your peas?.... Yes, mommy, I did....."Hum, well Eli, what is that green stuff hanging from Caroline's mouth....."
Caroline is about to turn 9 months, but over the past few weeks she has achieved so much. My little cuddler is going into extinction, and instead she wants to be down and crawling and pulling up on to something. I think she is close to walking, and possibly because she knows she has to have more defense mechanisms for an Eli attack. Some people ask me now that I have one of each if can tell if there is truly a difference in boys and girls behavior. My answer, UH, only about as much as there is a difference between Jude Law and Michael Moore. For example, at 8 months when Eli used to take a bath, he would automatically get into Olympic swimmer mode & the way he would kick would make even Micheal Phelps tired. Caroline at 8 months, well, she just likes to sit and play with the bubbles and smile- just so princess-cute like.

There was a couple from our church in Huntsville that we had recently met. Probably 2 of the nicest people I have ever been in contact with, and they have 2 adorable girls, age 2 and 4. Last week, the husband Tim, age 31, was found dead in his car from a possible heart attack. He was on his way to pick up his girls from pre-school. I didn't know Tim very well, but his death serves as a reminder of the harsh reality that it is not a given that we will see our children grow up. Everyday of life is a gift from God, and even the most stressful of days should be considered a blessing. I'm so thankful for Scott who is such an incredible father and husband, and am so very thankful for my children. We have been doing a lot of "group hugs" around our house lately, and when we have to get up with them sometimes 4 times a night, it just doesn't seem to bother me as much anymore. I know one day I am going to really wish these days hadn't gone by so fast...

Posing and Playing

2009-09-10T15:40:00.008-05:00

Eli: Grayson, you want to play with me? Grayson: Eli, you are my bestis friend.
ASSUME CRASH POSITION.......................................

Going to Carolina

2009-08-26T16:18:00.013-05:00

Well, actually, we are coming from Carolina. We are officially Alabamians, and our beach cottage is now just a fond memory. Living in South Carolina will always be one of the most treasured times of our lives. There were so many special memories there, most importantly, the birth of our daughter. There are some things that I don't miss: Bike Weeks, 11 hours from grandparents, 9 hours from most of our friends, cut-off t-shirts, overweight women in string bikinis, "the strip", horrible BBQ...BUT, below are some pictures of the things that I do miss and will always miss of my Carolina home.

Family walks on the beach..........

My family away from home.... Lindsey (above) and Brooke (below). I first met Brooke after about 3 weeks of living in South Carolina. Her husband worked in the athletic dept at CCU, so we automatically hit it off. Brooke was my lifesaver in so many instances, and I don't know what I would have done without her the first few months of our move. Lindsey moved to Myrtle Beach the end of the summer last year, and we met her and her husband and son through church. Ironically, her husband also works at CCU as a stat professor. All 3 of us shared similar stories in that we were far away from family and had to learn to do things on our own. I shared many many "growing" moments with them and a lot of "venting" sessions with them when I was worn out from all of Scott's travels and lonely with a 1-2 year old. Girls--- You will always be considered family to me, and I look forward to many adventures with you. Even though I am a few miles away from you momentarily, you are super duper close in my heart. I look forward to the day when Brooke's husband, Patrick, is the Athletic Director at Auburn and can give me all the free tickets to football & basketball games that I want (with free food of course) and also to the day that Nick, Lindsey's husband, can be the Stat professor at Vanderbilt and give my children all A's in their stat classes. (And of course, most importantly the fact that you would be just a hop skip and a jump from us :o))

The Marsh of Murrells Inlet (our sweet town)

Thank you God for all of the precious memories, and we hope that we will be "Going to Carolina" again very soon.

Let's Talk about Six.... and Seven

2009-08-06T12:58:00.007-05:00

I forget how much I love the 6 month and 7 month old baby stages. They have so much personality, but they can't go anywhere! Right now, her personality most resembles that of a black bear. She's laid back, extremely cuddly, and quite fun to look at... but watch out, because if this little bear gets hungry, you better take cover immediately (and buy some earplugs). I love the fact that she has some fiestiness in her.

Caroline, at 6 months you were sitting up on your own and babbling "da-da". You LOVE to dance, and Eli has dedicated the song "I Like em Big and Chunky" from Madagascar 2 to you. Now I never want you to be self-conscious about your body, but if your thighs remain their same consistency 2 years from now, I'll be forced into signing you up for Toddler Weight Watchers. You're up on all fours all day long, but haven't quite figured out how to quite move those chunky thighs. You kind of have a bear crawl thing going, which again, fits your personality. I'm really ok with you waiting a bit to crawl, if it's at 25 months, just know that I am TOTALLY fine with that.

We love you with all of our hearts Caroline Bear.

A hungry bear who loves to suck her toe- gross I know-- but what can you do?

Watch out.... she's growling........

A Summer of Blessings

2009-07-29T16:14:00.004-05:00

Time is truly something to be treasured. I have spent a lot of time this summer really trying to put a lasso around some of it and hang on for dear life. I'm hanging alright, but kind of like the blood being sucked out of your fingers and face kind of hanging. Instead of doing 40,000 blog posts to play catch up, I have made a slideshow with many of the great pictures that capture our "treasure moments" from the summer. We have had a lot of chaos, a lot of excitements, some disappointments, terrible anxiety, but more than anything, just pure and simple thanksgiving. Our bank account sure doesn't show it, but we are millionaires. God's blessings are endless, and sometimes disguised. Through our house hunting I have realized that the riches I have are far greater than the $750,000 dream house on the Appalachain mountains.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

MIA

2009-07-20T07:29:00.004-05:00

Sorry for the lack of updates and pictures, but I hope to be caught up by the end of the week. I have great news though-- we have a contract on our house and are set to close August 20th!!! This summer has been absolutely the busiest yet, I guess because I now have 2 kids, a self-employed husband, my own job, and add looking for houses all in the mix.

I will have Caroline's 6 month post, 4th of July, other summer fun times, and family reunion pictures to post soon!

Summer Beach Fun

2009-06-30T16:48:00.011-05:00

It's been a while, I know. I wish someone would pause our video entilted "LIFE" so I could at least take a bathroom break. Can you believe it is soon to be July? The house remains on the market, but it is showing a lot, so we consider that a blessing.

Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Back to the fun stuff that happened the 2nd week in June.... a very fun girl's trip with my college roomie and her "little person" Addison. Kristy invited me to the beach, so Caroline and I loaded the car from top to bottom and headed to Destin, while Eli stayed with mom and dad for the week. So, again, I forgot what it was like to take a baby to the beach. Definitely not as exhausting as say, well, my 2 year old, but exhausting enough and SO BLASTED hot!!!!! The girls were automatic friends though so I am glad that I have "find Caroline's college roommate" already checked off my to-do list. We did have some relaxing moments after the girls were in bed and 2 fun dinners. Oh how I had missed my sandy white beaches. AND, I realized that we didn't really stand out as much as we did in Myrtle Beach. There were actually other families there who had their children in smocked clothes instead of gym shorts and a spiderman sleeveless t-shirt.

A few pictures from our trip below..... more posts soon to come!!

BFF: Hooty-hoot!!

Nothing like a little sand for dinner............

Scott calls this her "milk maid" outfit. It was supposed to be for the beach, but I didn't want to deal with another sandy poop.

Hum, maybe 2 for the price of 1? A roommate for Caroline and a wife for Eli????? Mom brought him down the last day we were there.

Settling In

2009-06-09T19:47:00.003-05:00

To give a quick update on our family.... we are officially in Huntsville. We are currently very fortunate to be living with Scott's parents until we sell our house in Murrells Inlet. We have one couple that is most likely going to make an offer, but your prayers will be appreciated. We are competing with the builder of our neighborhood since it has not finished being developed. I am trying to remain calm about the situation, but it is definitely a shadow hanging over our heads. Eli started preschool 2 weeks ago at Mayfair Child Development Center--- a part of Mayfair Church of Christ. I was a little apprehensive about how he would react to being in an entirely new place with all new people, but my fears were eliminated when we went to pick him up after his first day and he looks at Scott and me and says, "Leave." Wow, glad you missed us son.

Nana is keeping Caroline 3 days a week while I continue to work for my same CPA firm in Birmingham. I am very blessed to have someone who loves my child so much be her caregiver. Caroline is definitely very attached to her.

Scott's new job as the owner/Director of the Alabama Basketball Academy is doing better than expected. I think it is amazing what God can do if we just open our hands and let him take control. I am so proud of Scott for his vision, his determination, and the guts he had to take a leap of faith and do what he thought God was leading him to do. He is the most content I have seen him since I have known him. He is doing what he was born to do and it makes my heart very happy.

I also didn't realize until we moved back how homesick I had been. It is amazing to be able to hop in the car and see my parents in 4 hours or my grandparents and friends from B'ham in 2. I dearly miss Brooke and Lindsey (I have a new post coming about the 2 of them) but they will ALWAYS be very dear friends of mine and I look forward to seeing them in weeks to come.

Eli is staying for the week with my parents and attending their VBS. This is the longest I have been away from him in his 2 and 1/2 years, but I think that it is good for him to have some individual attention. He is loving life and getting spoiled rotten. He did melt my heart today when he asked me "You coming to get Eli Mommy." Um yeah, I was ready to jump in the car right then had it not been for the fried dill pickes from Buster's. Caroline is with me in Destin with one of my best friends and her little girl Addison. It has been wonderful to catch up with Kristy and get to know her precious little girl. It has also been nice to spend one on one time with Caroline. She has me wrapped-- emotionally, physically (I'm still nursing :o)), and financially---CRUD for all the cute girls clothes!

If you have made it through the end of this post, please say a prayer that our house will sell soon. More updates to come....

Give Me a High "Five"

2009-06-09T15:49:00.006-05:00

Five months old and counting-- Caroline-- wow, you are getting taller and chunkier by the minute. So you actually turned 5 months old on May 24th, which was a significant day for 2 reasons... 1) the obvious (your 5 months old) and 2) we moved to Huntsville, Alabama. You seem to be adjusting to the change well because I think you like the new found attention from your Nana, Grandaddy, Meeps and Peeps. You have developed a love and appreciation for squash, sweet potatoes and peaches. I don't feel like I have you on a great schedule yet because of all of our changes, but that may soon develop--- maybe, maybe not. I find myself being a little more relaxed with you and enjoying more of the little things. I don't get as stressed about doing things by the book but instead letting you and I figure things out together. Our relationship is already so special, and I am so blessed to have you daughter. You love for us to sing "Mary had a little lamb" to you, and your brother can make you giggle like no other person can. The two of you are already close, and the bond is sure to be stronger as months and years go by. Your daddy has become quite fond of his "baby girl" and he loves to tickle your tummy and watch you eat your feet. We are always on some kind of high with you and Eli in our lives- and always will be.

I think you may be a little scared here..... Eli on the other hand.....

The Good Days

2009-06-03T09:46:00.001-05:00

Priceless

2009-05-15T10:31:00.002-05:00

Swine Flu in Myrtle?

2009-05-04T20:48:00.003-05:00

No, that's just my allergen husband mowing our neighbor's yard and Eli wanting to be just like him.

Check out the other 2 new posts below!

Lions, and Tigers, and Flamingos..oh my!

2009-05-04T20:19:00.011-05:00

If you know Eli, then you know he has a love for animals. My great friend Lindsey had told us that the Columbia Zoo was great, so we decided to take our kids to the zoo on Saturday. It was hot, smelly, and crowded, but it really was a fantastic zoo. Needless to say, Eli was entertained for the entire 3 hours we were there. Ranking at the top of his list were the lions, monkeys, gorilla, giraffes and penguins. AND of course the confined spaces where he would try to break free and run through the crowds and try to play chase with Scott. Caroline decided to take a nap most of the trip until we got to the giraffes where she decided to crank it up. Of course she would decide to go ballistic from hunger among the quietest of animals-- the giraffe and the 170 year old tortoise. Kids have impeccable timing don't they?
The "War Eagle" tiger

Caroline is really enthused.....
Sweet "Baby Will"
Partial family picture (didn't want to wake Caroline)She's awake!!!!!

Rocks at the penguin exhibit.

And, just a side note, every night during Eli's bath, we let him pick one of his animal towels and he gets to be that animal for the night. We were curious to see what animal he would pick after seeing so many that day. SO-- drumroll please..... here is what Eli chose......

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It just warms a mother's heart when her son says he wants to be a pink flamingo. :o) Let's just hope that Scott's dad doesn't find this out.......

All "Four" Love

2009-05-04T16:27:00.008-05:00

Happy 4 months Caroline! You continue to melt our hearts and break our bank account. Your night-time sleeping habits are great, so keep up the good work. Naps-well, some days you sleep but most days you just eat. Milestones this month included rolling over from back to stomach, rice cereal, and playing in your exersaucer. At your 4-month check-up you weighed 14 pounds (50th percentile) and were 25 inches long (95th percentile). Obviously, you are built like your daddy because I was about 50th percentile for height and about 95th percentile for weight. Your giggle is contagious, and I could smell you all day long.

You are starting to hold your own against Eli. Eli's head full of hair has really worked to your advantage. I wish I could have captured the look on his face when you grabbed a chunk of it and tried to eat it.

Always remember, everything we do-- we do it all for love.....

Caroline loves to eat her clothes!

Rice cereal, yummy!!!Trouble!!!

The Stuff that Counts

2009-04-19T20:14:00.012-05:00

Forget the "biggest sales of the season," forget the pile of laundry, forget the chicken that needs to be dethawed, forget the weeds that need to be pulled, forget the phone call that needs to be returned....

And concentrate on the unforgettable....

Peter Cottontail Comes to Myrtle

2009-04-19T14:22:00.009-05:00

I have learned that if you really want to win the smiles and heart of a 2 year old, forget the Wiggle DVDs, the Barney stickers, the kites, the Tigger and Pooh coloring book, and the Handy Manny book, and just give him one thing. C-A-N-D-Y. That's it. Nothing more. One trip to the super market for the Skittles on sale for $1.99 and you can make my son's day. We kept asking Eli what was in his basket and he just kept saying, "Candy.... and eggs!" Caroline was pretty easy to please. We managed to get a few family photos before church. Easter was a blessed day, and most importantly, we are thankful for Christ and his sacrifice so that we might have days like this one....

"Going to Carolina"

2009-04-12T08:50:00.020-05:00

3 miles from our house........ the beach
80 miles from our house..... (Charleston, SC)

(don't you love Caroline's expression when Eli's holding her :0))

Eli makes friends wherever we go....

And, Murrells Inlet, SC-- home sweet home....

3's Company

2009-03-28T20:51:00.008-05:00

Happy 3 months Caroline! Over the past month you have really become quite social, and for only 3 months old, you make great company. You have reached the most treasured of all milestones for me and daddy. SLEEPING THROUGH THE NIGHT!!!! Your first night to sleep 8 hours was March 6, 2009 and we were actually at GG and Grandad's house. It wasn't until about 2 and 1/2 weeks later that you consistently started sleeping through the night. You are definitely a morning person like me. You love to socialize over breakfast and then you like to play under your Baby Einstein gym and talk to the lady bugs and birds for a while. Now that basketball season is over, Daddy has been able to spend a lot of time with you. He loves for you to "nurse his nose" as he calls it. If you are now 18 and reading this, don't worry, it's only Eskimo kisses. Around 7 pm you like to crank it up, so we put you on your changing table and take your pants off. You really like to be naked. That's OK for now, but around 3, we are going to have to put a stop to that.... You laugh and talk a lot. Meeps and Nana think you are one of the most social babies they have ever seen. You even talked to dad on the phone for a while the other day to tell him you missed him.

Eli is wondering why you can't play with him more. He always tries to give you your paci and then kind of wop you over the head when you don't respond to him. Yes, we spank him for that, but you are definitely going to have to learn to be tough.

You make us smile constantly. We thank God for you everyday.

Eli's Newest Allergy......

2009-03-24T19:04:00.003-05:00

ALABAMA. Yes, we made our first trip to Alabama a few weeks ago. What was supposed to be a week and 1/2 trip to Andalusia and Huntsville resulted in a 3 week stint with an ER visit and 3 doctors visits. The day we got to Huntsville and were about to settle down for the night, Eli trips on the hardwoods of my in-laws and we find ourselves in the ER with 400,000 other sick kids. Many germs and 6-stitches later, we finally got back to their house at midnight. That same day Eli also came down with a small fever. With his past history of febrile seizures, I of course freaked out and took him to the doctor twice. All was good, no seizures, and we are finally well. Scott flew to Alabama to come pick us up and then got sent back out to Pittsburgh. He returned to us a few days later- with our good luck- what he thought was the flu. Luckily, it was only a severe sinus infection but we stayed away from him for a while. To all of our friends that we did not get to see, we look forward to seeing you in our next visit-- assuming Eli does not have his allergic reaction again to the state. :o). Below are some of the highlights of our trip.

Howdy ya'll!!!
Daddy, it's ok, don't be scared, I'll lead you.... I know you're not really an outdoors man...

Does this thing go any faster????
This is definitely the best way to get me to stop crying GG.

Do the accountant and FIJI stand out in this picture????
When it comes to dressing Eli--- I'm not caving in to the peer pressure.A new meaning to "string" beans. Eli's beans were easily detectable at lunch.

Uncle Dave and the cuddle bug.

Andalusia's newest taxi driver.

The famous "BIA-BIA"-- (Eli's blanket)
Caroline's bunny hat looks stunning on you dad....
After a 3 year hiatus, the Easter bunny finally came to see me early in Andalusia. (He's come to my kids every year) Yo Peter, I think you are going to need to pay up in back candy.....
Please let Caroline have her brother's hair.....
Caroline, would you like to color with me?

Here and Now.....

2009-03-23T20:39:00.002-05:00

in Mrytle beach, with wet hair, in my bathrobe, thinking of all the things I need to do but instead writing a meaningless blog post, anticipating Caroline's feeding frenzy soon to come in 15 minutes, wishing Scott would give me more than a one-handed shoulder massage effort.

Pictures from the last few weeks to be posted tomorrow. Good night!!!

Two Have and to Hold

2009-03-14T10:46:00.006-05:00

Our little girl turned 2 months old on February 24, 2009. It is amazing how in just a few short weeks so much can change. Caroline, around 6 weeks you started to coo and smile. At your 8 week appointment, you weighed 10 pounds, 7 ounces- exactly what Eli weighed at 2 weeks. You are in the 50th percentile for weight and 25th for height. I think you may be a shorty like your mommy, but hey, that works to my advantage because maybe I can borrow all of your clothes one day.

You were introduced to several other family members over the month, and Eli was very proud to show you off. Aunt Christy and Grayson came to South Carolina to see you. Grayson was mesmerized by you-- whom she calls "Carolina." She was very helpful in changing your diapers and feeding you a bottle although she couldn't understand why she could not carry you like she carries her baby dolls. Nana and Grandaddy came as well, and we then made our first trip with you to Alabama. As soon as you got in the car, you passed out asleep and you basically slept the entire trip with the exception of two feedings and diaper changes at Chik-fil-a and Burger King. Once in Alabama, you were introduced to GG and Grandad, your great-grandparents, Aunt Caylen and Uncle Dave, who flew all the way from Phoenix to meet you, Uncle Eric, and Great Grandmomma.

As your daddy and I look at you now, you remind us of how our faith should be in Christ. You totally rely on us for everything-- for nourishment, for comfort, for peace. You don't worry about tomorrow because you know that mommy and daddy will take care of you. Our prayer is that you will grow and mature in all areas of your life. However, I pray that your faith in Christ will remain as a 2 month old. I pray that you will cling to Him as you do your dad and I and that you will always seek Him to provide you with what you need. Daddy and I will sometimes fail you and not always know the best thing for you, but be certain my precious Caroline, that Jesus will not. He knows just what you need; now and forever.

What's Gonna Work......

2009-02-22T21:09:00.013-06:00

TEAMWORK. Or how about, "Wonderpets, wonderpets, we're on our way" or "Bob, the builder- can you fix it, YES, we can." These are the songs that play in my head over and over at night when I lay myself down to sleep. They're the songs from Wonder Pets and Bob the Builder-- currently Eli's favorite DVDs. How long will my head be invaded by these songs??? I try to lay down and dream about laying on the beach and hearing the waves crash against the seashore and then suddenly, Eli suddenly appears and lays his sandy wet body all over chest, and in his most innocent voice says, "Whatcha doin' Mommy." Oh the joys of motherhood. So many joys that I don't have much time to blog. I think I would honestly have more time if I just kept Caroline strapped in the Snuggly so that she could get a little snack anytime she wanted. She seems to eat 24/7. And fruit snacks, M&M's and granola (that Eli for some reason called Barbecue) have become vital bribery staples for our household. If you have any better suggestions to get your toddler to stop climbing the furniture while you have your other child latched on-- let me know.

So some highlights from February.... Eli's new favorite hobby is now to take all of his clothes out of the drawers, throw them in a big pile, jump on top, and make clothes angels. Caroline's favorite hobby is to have her clothes off and wiggle her legs like a frog while passing gas. Two weeks ago I had a flaming boob- not in a sexy kind of way, but in a mastitis kind of way. We had a week long visit from my sister who was my saving grace since Scott was out of town the whole week. We also had a visit the next weekend by cousin Grayson, Aunt Christy, Nana and Grandad (see pics below). Nana stayed the week after Grayson and Christy left and is riding back with me to Alabama. We are making the trip today and I am going to visit my parents and finally see my brother and sister-in-law whom we have not seen since their wedding in August (they moved to Phoenix, AZ). Scott has been out of town it seems like for 3 months, but I think things are just running together now. Not that I am counting or anything, but 8 more days until the basketball season is over.... Go CCU!

I have a few pictures below from our adventures the past month.

Bathtime-- yes, a time saver to have to at once. Probably a lot of tee tee going on in that water...
Look at my little cuddle bug with Aunt Ems.

Caroline not eating....
Whoever says they can keep a house clean with toddlers is... a liar liar pants on fire.... Eli with Grayson on Valentines, and yes, we let them wear Christmas pajamas...
My reason for not blogging often.....
True teamwork. Nothing like playing a little baseball in some church clothes...

Taking it easy on the front porch.
I am not even attempting to give up the paci now. Whatever works at bedtime....

Caroline's First Month

2009-01-25T17:00:00.014-06:00

Happy One Month Caroline!

Even though you are only a month old, we could not imagine life without you. Nor can we imagine life with 8 hours of sleep. You noticed your fish on your mobile for the first time yesterday and you are already starting to hold your head on your on. You are a great eater, and a really good sleeper to have come so early. At exactly your one month mile stone, you had the best night thus far. You went to sleep at 10:30, woke up with a ferocious appetite at 3:15am and then again at 7:15 am.

You have an amazing ability to drown out the yells and screams of your brother and you love to cuddle on our chests. You recognize the voices of your mom, dad, Meeps, Nana, and of course, Eli.

It's so fun to dress you up in pink, but dear girl, you are going to break my pocket book. Buying clothes for you is so fun-- too fun. We hope to take you to Alabama to meet your uncles and aunts and great grandparents in about one month. They cannot wait to see you.

Everyday we thank God for you and look forward to many, many more months to watch you smile and grow.

With Meeps
With Nana

So Happy Together

2009-01-25T16:44:00.012-06:00

Our prayer is that Caroline and Eli will always love, respect and look out for each other. They are definitely off to a good start.

A Growing Boy

2009-01-25T12:25:00.013-06:00

They say that when you have another child, that your first child seems to become a little more grown up. It's almost sad to say, but it's true. Now, my "baby" eagerly awaits for dinner to be done so he can do the dishes (I assume this rare phenomenon will not last forever), he wants to help change Caroline's diapers, and he loves to sweep the house. He still has his moments where he tells me that I have 2 babies and tells me that Daddy should hold Caroline so I can hold him, but overall, the transition has exceeded my expectations. I have also found that jelly beans and M&Ms work wonders as forms of bribery. At moments of crisis with 2 crying babies, they are lifesavers!

Below are pictures of our growing boy from the past month- January 2009.

We are really into stickers right now--- maybe to the extreme??
Eli taking Caroline for a "stroll"
His dad has taught him well-- maybe he can be a FIJI dish washer too???
All boy-- yes, even in smocked clothes......

Mr. Mischievous
Already becoming a man. He spends about 30 minutes on his Elmo potty and has to read several magazines. Potty training in the works.....
Eli reading his "little books". My son has an obsession with these.... He carries them everywhere- even basketball games!

Christmas with Caroline

2009-01-01T15:37:00.027-06:00

Wow, what a whirlwind of a holiday. We started December with Eli's 2 year old birthday and then had visits from Nana, Grayson, and Aunt Christy, then had a wonderful visit with my great friend Kristin, and then.... a visit from what seemed to be the devil himself... the rotavirus. Eli got sick and was the most pitiful little thing I have ever seen. 2 days later-- Scott came down with it-- and just when I thought I was in the clear, I came down with it 2 days later. I got dehydrated and had to go to the hospital. It was now December 21st, and instead of my planned Christmas shopping with Scott, I spent it hooked up to an IV and a baby monitor. The nurse came in and asked me if I felt contractions. I said no, in which she preceded to tell me that I was having them 2 minutes apart. The nausea had subsided finally, but when she said that, I got another wave of it. No way could I have a baby that early. I mean I still had shopping to do and my family was coming the next day, and what about Eli, and the car seat base was not installed, and I didn't have any diapers, and my toenails were not painted, and I had a highlight appointment for the next day, etc, etc. You know, all the important things were going through my mind.... :o) Well, after 2 shots to stop the contractions, they finally did stop and I was released from the hospital. I felt much better after getting fluids, and I took a Tylenol PM and hit the sack when I got home. On Monday, the 22nd, we spent the day sanitizing our house. In my mind, I could see those germs from the TV commercials that are crawling on the phones, and I just felt my skin crawling all day. So, I decided to keep my hair appointment just to get a break from the house. My family arrived in the middle of the night, but had decided to stay in a nearby condo since our house was possibly still contaminated with the Satan virus. We had the carpets cleaned on Tuesday, and Eli and I went to meet my parents while Scott did his usual last minute Christmas shopping. We spent all afternoon shopping and I felt great. My sister graciously volunteered to watch Eli that night so that Scott and my parents and I could go to a movie. I think it had been 2 years since we had seen a movie in the theater. We saw Four Christmas's and I had some pretty good belly laughs. What was ironic is that I remember telling mom as we were walking into the theater that I did not know how I was going to carry Caroline for 4 more weeks because I was so very uncomfortable. I think that God had to be laughing then. We got back from the movies and picked up Eli who fell asleep in the car and we went to bed. My feet were swollen for the first time of my pregnancy, but I didn't think that unusual since I had been on my feet all afternoon. At 2:30 am, I awoke to a little trickling sensation. I woke Scott up and asked him if my water had broken. Half awake, he just felt around in the bed and said no. Two minutes later I felt it again. This time I punched Scott and told him to get up, I thought my water had broken. As soon as I got out of bed, it's like the dam had busted and the water started gushing. This was much more than when my water broke with Eli. I was kind of in a daze, and kind of denial it was happening. I mean, she wasn't due until January 2oth and Eli was 4 days late-- not early. But, I knew that once your water breaks, you have to deliver. We called my parents and they were here within about 10 minutes-- Mom with make-up and a cute shirt and all. She amazes me at how fast her reaction time is in a crisis. I looked at Scott after he got dressed and we realized he was wearing the exact same shirt he wore when I went into labor with Eli. I think it is safe to say that plaid shirt is his go to comfort shirt. I am still leaking water everywhere and change pants about 4 times. We are throwing stuff in a bag because I had not even begun to pack hospital bags yet. We get to the hospital and it is confirmed I am going to have a baby. I'm nervous because she will be 4 weeks early and I am just praying that she is developed and at least 5 pounds. The labor progressed rather smoothly and I was not having contractions really that were painful. After the first painful contraction I decided that we'd go ahead and have that wonderful wonderful epidural. So, basically, my labor was pain free. I was only dilated about 2-3 cm, so they gave me the potosin drip to speed things along. Within about an hour, I was fully dilated and ready to bring Miss Caroline into the world. (at least my body was-- my mind was not quite there yet). I gave one push and they all shouted they could see her head. BUT the doctor was not there. I felt the urge to push again, but they told me to wait that the doctor was on her way. They called her again to find out she was across the street at her office. The nurse told her in so many words to get to my room ASAP. I went through about 7 more contractions with an urge to push and finally the doctor came. Two pushes later and at 12:05pm, December 24th, Caroline Adair was laying on my chest. Icky, and screaming, and beautiful. She weighed 7.2 lbs and was 19 and 1/2 inches long. THANK you Lord that you did not make me wait until full term and try to push out an 11 pounder. Christmas did not go as planned, but I don't think I could have asked for anything more perfect. Eli was well taken care of by my parents and sister, and they were here to greet their granddaughter and niece. We came home from the hospital on Friday, December 26th and celebrated Christmas with my family and then Eli woke up Saturday morning to open his gifts from Santa Claus. He had no idea the real date of Christmas and after he opened his presents, he ran across the street to a neighbor's house who had a blow up Santa in their yard and said, "Thank you Santa for Thomas the Train." He is so fun now and is talking up a storm. He has adjusted well to having a baby sister. Scott and I have tried to spend one on one time with him as much as we can and have tried to make him feel as if he is such a helper with Caroline. We are very blessed and are so excited to now be a family of four. The adjustment has been easier than I anticipated, & the Lord has really given us a sense of peace and comfort knowing that we will not be given anything more than we can handle. We are looking forward to a great 2009 with Caroline and Eli.

How we thought would spend Christmas......

How we actually spent Christmas...............

Daddy sporting his "comfort shirt"

Right after delivery....

Nurse Lynda who almost had to deliver me...

Meeps and Peeps first glimpse of Caroline...

Eli's first look at "Baby Caroline". He immediatly wanted to give her kisses...

A great stocking stuffer.....

Yeah, I finally have her to myself!!

Caroline taking it all in.... about 6 hours old......

The most popular member of the family with the kiddos so far.... Aunt Emmy

Santa came to visit on December 26th." Our first morning home from the hospital.
Aunt Emmy hiding out in Eli's tent.
Eli with his 400th book....

Eli with 3 suckers in his tent. The candy in his stocking was the most popular gift. By 8 am he had had 5 twizzlers, 4 suckers, and some M&Ms. Oh well....

More candy -and Eli with his lobster raincoat on...

Pre Caroline---- Breakfast with Santa at church... ( I got behind on my blogging)

Grayson and Eli exploring our Christmas tree 2 weeks before Christmas....
Surfside Christmas parade-- wearing Monkey Buddy
Church Christmas party............

My Big Boy Turns 2

2008-12-12T17:06:00.017-06:00

It's hard to believe that my "baby" is 2! Eli turned 2, December 6th, and we have celebrated about 15 different times for Eli's birthday since we have had family and friends come in and out of town so much. It's been a blast-- but Eli is probably in a state of confusion. When I light a candle to make the house smell good, he will now go up to the candle and start singing, "Happy Birthday to me.....". Oh well, I guess we will keep the party rolling for now because come January--it's a whole different ballgame for our little guy :o). Here our a few pics from our birthday party with Eli and our dear friends here Lindsey, Nick, and Will Pritchard and Brooke, Patrick, and Walker Ransdell. Also are pictures from Eli's birthday breakfast where Daddy made turtle pancakes especially for Eli. Eli's not shy at opening presents we have learned. Christmas should be full of entertaining moments.

Brooke and Patrick
Scott and Baby Walker
Lindsey and Baby Will

His own "power tools." He thought the drill was a hairdryer...... well-- he takes after his dad :o).

2 year old pics...

A Thanksgiving of Firsts and Lasts

2008-12-01T17:47:00.019-06:00

Pawley's Island at Sunset Thanksgiving Day

Firsts:
1) My grandparents first visit to see us in Myrtle Beach. It was wonderful to see them!

2) My first attempt at cooking a Thanksgiving meal-- including dressing. Thanks for the recipe Nana!

3) My first time to be without Scott for Thanksgiving since we have been together. (he was on a basketball road trip for several days)

4) Seeing a beautiful sunset over the marsh with my family.

Lasts:

1) The last time I will have just one child at Thanksgiving

2) Maybe the last time I will be 8-9 months preggo on Thanksgiving (Eli- Dec 6th, Caroline, Jan 20th). If we have a 3rd, I am going to shoot for a spring/fall baby :o).

3) Hopefully the last time I have to spend the holiday without my hubby.

4) The last time I wait until the week of Thanksgiving to shop at Walmart.

Below are a few pictures from our holiday. Mom, Dad, Emily, and my grandparents were all here to celebrate with Eli and me. I am very thankful for all of our family. We are very blessed.
Thanksgiving Day- a walk on the beach...
After Thanksgiving shopping trip with the girls Building a tower with new birthday blocks from GG and Grandad
Eli when seeing the train table that Meeps and Peeps got him for his birthday... Eli telling Emily's friend Scott that he would love to come visit him in the Virgin Islands and bring his parents..... :o) Eli helping Peeps on the ladder in his big boy room.

Don't Blink

2008-11-19T20:47:00.016-06:00

Kenny Chesney was right-- Don't blink-- because life happens so fast. Eli is about to turn 2 in a few weeks. As much as I look forward to the next stage of his life, I have to remind myself to just pause and enjoy every moment with him now. So, I decided to post a few of my favorite pictures of the past and present....

Great Times with Grayson

2008-11-11T19:36:00.014-06:00

My niece Grayson, Nana, Grandaddy, and Scott's sister, Christy came to Myrtle for a visit over the weekend. Grayson is 3 months older than Eli, and let's just say that we had 2 partner's in crime over the last few days. What one did, the other did, or what one had, the other had to have. Their favorite hang out place was on top of the changing table in Caroline's nursery. If there was ever a moment of silence and we didn't see the toddlers around, we knew right where they were. Grayson likes her paci's-- all 5 of them. Eli likes his blankets-- or bia bia's as he calls them. Yesterday, Eli was trying to figure out how to hold 3 bia bia's and 5 paci's with one hand. He never quite mastered it-- thank goodness. Everyone thinks that Eli and Grayson are twins b/c they play so well together and have so many similarities. Grayson couldn't figure out where baby "Carolina" as she calls her was. We told her she was in Aunt Am's tummy. She kept trying to press my belly button to see if she might pop out. We had a ton of laughs over the last few days and miss them already.
Pre-arrival of the fam

Grayson making Eli laugh...
Grayson doing her "monkey smile"
Eli just being a monkey
Eli thinking that wrestling Grayson is much more fun than wrestling daddy... especially on dirty clothes.
Aunt Christy to the rescue!!

"washing up"

Sharing toddler secrets. Just being loving---- and yes, we'll put a stop to this....

The shopping carts at the mall were much more fun to Eli and Grayson than getting pictures made with Santa-- or the "man who had a mean smile" according to Grayson.

Wanted: Giraffe on the Loose in Myrtle Beach

2008-11-01T12:49:00.017-05:00

Get out of my way guys, I heard somebody had some CANDY.......................

Whew, I made it to CCU, now where did they say that candy was????

Hey Coach Ellis! Um, forget the tricks, I am just interested in the treats.

Hey guys----- I'm over here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's perfect, now, just keep it coming..... Is all this picture taking really necessary-- can I at least have my M&Ms???
On to my new candy mission: the Ransdell's house.....
Hello? Brooke, Patrick, Walker and Ribbie??? I'm here......

Hey Mrs. Brooke, yeah, trick or treat.. now give me some CANDY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do you mind if I eat while we take pictures??

I am getting kind of tired, yes, Daddy you can hold me...

Yes, I'm pretty cute....

The day before with all my church pals at trunk or treat...
Whoa!!!!!! Look, it's awesome, a Capri sun---- my favorite treat so far!! (seriously)
Now that this Halloween ruckus is over, I'm going to go in this corner and check out my stash....
Happy Halloween 2008!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hey, Mom, when did you say again that Santa would be here????

Midnight Madness

2008-10-29T11:49:00.007-05:00

Well, not exactly midnight madness, but 11:30pm madness. Eli knew that his Daddy was painting Caroline's room, and he could not handle it. He HAD to participate in all the fun. So, when my 3 hour attempt to get Eli in bed had miserably failed, we decided to give Eli a paintbrush and let him go to work. Needless to say, we were all tired this morning, but watching my son so excited about "helping out" was priceless. And, to appease several of my friends and family who have requested a preggo picture, here is ONE. When Eli saw Scott with the camera, he just assumed that he was to be in the picture. My son is defiintely not camera shy. I'm 28 weeks and Baby Caroline seems to be happy and healthy! Miss you all, and halloween pics will soon follow tomorrow.....

Miss you all!!!!!!!

Oh Mercer, Mercer Me

2008-10-20T15:15:00.006-05:00

This past weekend Eli got an on-campus visit to Mercer in Macon, Ga. Scott had a to take a recruiting trip there, and at the last minute Eli and I decided to join him and meet Aunt Emmy. (she drove from Auburn to meet us) Eli went absolutely crazy when he saw "E-E" and did not go to sleep until around 11:30 Friday night because he was so excited. My sister does not have kids yet, so she thinks it is awesome to be able to spoil Eli and give him whatever he wants. Saturday he was treated to several snacks including an ice cream Popsicle, DQ ice cream, pizza, a jelly biscuit, etc.. etc. Needless to say, he didn't really nap that day, and it took forever to get him to sleep Saturday night. My dear sweet sister, pay back will be precious in a few years. I can't wait for your kids to come visit their Mimi!!!!!!!! Below are a few pics from campus with EE. Eli waving to the bus... Intrigued by a baseball game....
Can I play, PLEASE????

Meeps, Peeps, Blocks and Puzzles

2008-10-13T15:42:00.007-05:00

Meeps and Peeps came for a visit this weekend (my mom and dad). I was so glad to see them although it was WAYYYY too short of a visit. Mom and I spent Saturday shopping for Caroline's nursery and Eli's big boy room. Peeps and Eli got in some good bonding time. When Mom and I came home from our shopping adventure, Eli and Peeps were outside playing. Eli had a huge mud stain on his nice little Auburn smocked jon-jon from where he had been building a fort in a mud puddle, and he also had on his Teva's that were his baby shoes and about 2 inches smaller than his foot. Isn't it always fun to see what creative things your child will be doing and/or wearing when men babysit?

Rise and shine Peeps-- don't you know that at 7:15am it is time to play blocks? By the way, nice hair!!!!Eli concentrating on his puzzle....(pre-mud outfit)

Eli is all about some Meeps.... the Marsh Walk, Murrells Inlet

Fall Festivities

2008-10-07T16:30:00.013-05:00

Fall is in the air. It's my favorite time of year. I usually get this rush of adrenaline and am reminded of new beginnings. I think of my years of starting back to school and the anticipation and excitement it brought, and sometimes I miss it. I got a little homesick for the first time since our move a few weeks ago when Scott and I were watching the Auburn game. We did not go to many games when we lived in Birmingham due to Scott's b'ball schedule, but I guess I always knew that it was an option if I decided I wanted to hop in the car and meet my fam for tailgating. Now living 8 hours away with a toddler and a bulging belly, it's not so much an option. Another reminder of not taking things for granted I guess-- so instead we hopped in the car and drove 3 miles to the beach. A pretty good trade-off I suppose :o). This past week NANA came for a visit, and I was thrilled to have her for the week. Eli stayed glued to her hip, and I actually got to relax and get caught up with work and household chores. I have been living by the philosophy "Chores can wait, children can't" for the last few weeks, but enough was enough and I had no excuse with Nana (Scott's mom) here to help watch Eli. If you plan on visiting us soon, please come now before I revert back to my old philosophy again..... :o)
Excuse me mom and dad... I need to take a break and smell the flowers.....

Wow--- the light is hot!!
In true toddler form......
Shooting the breeze with Nana.....
Eli, that's what happens when you try to sit in your clothes drawer....
Go CCU!!!!!!!!!!!

The pumpkin patch
Eli when asked how many pumpkins there were in the pile...... Eli: "WHOAAAA... BIGGGG Pupkim......."

The Latest Kyle Addition

2008-09-29T12:44:00.012-05:00

My "baby" brother got married August 2nd, and we are so thankful and happy to have Caylen as part of our family. (Aunt Cay-K as Eli calls her). Caylen just got her wedding pictures back, so I thought I would share a few pictures from the wedding. They just moved to Phoenix, Arizona where David has begun medical school. I have never seen David happier, but Scott and I look forward to the day when we are no longer living 30 hours apart from them.....

I think they love each other!!!!

Pre-Wedding: The Kyle Clan (minus Caylen and Eli)

wow-- Caylen!!!
Eli sitting patiently with Nana

Tattoos and Tailgating

2008-09-21T19:37:00.018-05:00

The highlight of our weekend was Eli's first CCU ballgame on Saturday. A little different than Auburn... but a perfect environment for a toddler. We wanted to introduce him to tailgating in the proper fashion so of course, the tattoo of Chancey-- the Chanticleers mascot, came first. Eli was mesmerized by this event. He sat perfectly still, for the first time in his life, while his little artwork was being soaked in. This morning he woke up, ran into our bathroom to see Scott, holds out his hand and says---oooohh Chancey. He was so excited to still have his tat. Hum: do you think it would be rude if I bring tattoos to church and glue them all over his body during the service to get him to be still?

He then was introduced to Chancey the mascot. Surprisingly, he was a little intimidated at first, until he realized that this big rooster could give massive high fives.

We met our great friends Brooke, Patrick, and Baby Walker at the Alumni tailgate. This was Walker and Eli's first CCU game. By this time, Eli was on his second brownie and had already finger touched every cookie on the food table. Did I mention we had only been at the tailgate for 15 minutes?

The pictures below are highlights from the game. Eli loved it all. I think most of all he loved being able to scream to the top of his lungs without being asked to "Shhhhh" and go to time out. He gave everyone below us and above us high-fives and flirted with the two college students beside us for the first quarter. For our little socialite, football games are his cup of tea. We hope for many more tattoos and tailgating in the future.

Fireworks at halftime...

Just Beachy

2008-09-14T18:20:00.009-05:00

This weekend was a lazy weekend at the beach. Eli started a runny nose Friday night that kept us up Friday night and some Saturday night. It's amazing how kids feel so sick when they have to go to bed, and miraculously they wake up as if they are on top of the world. Since he was feeling better, we took Eli to our neighborhood pool Saturday. Scott decided to show him the proper techniques of jumping into the pool. Eli thought that was absolutely hilarious so the rest of the evening at the pool was spent watching Scott jump. I was thoroughly entertained myself.
I have included some other pics of Eli in his "Myrtle Turtle" shirt. He gave his cousin Grayson one just like it for her 2nd birthday. We were sad to miss her party, but he wanted Grayson to be able to see him in his shirt that is just like hers.

I hope you all had a great weekend. It was great to be able to watch Auburn play a great soccer game Saturday :o).

A Pleasant Pause

2008-09-13T13:35:00.004-05:00

I am currently reading "The Shack" by WM Paul Young. After our visit by Tropical Storm Hanna 2 weekends ago, a paragraph in the book really grasped my attention.

"There is something joyful about storms that interrupt routine. You are suddenly released from expectations, performance demands, and the tyranny of appointments and schedules..... Everyone understands and shares in this singular justification, and the sudden alleviation of the pressure to produce makes the heart merry."

As much as I dreaded the possibility of losing power as the storm approached, there was still a small part of me that embraced the opportunity. Forcibly, there were no errands to run, no sales to shop for, no hearty meals to cook, no deadlines to meet. Just quiet time with my family-- still time. I believe our primary responsibility as Christians is too serve-- but in our society, I think we take this to such an extreme that we leave little time to just "Be still, and know that He is God." It's almost as if we feel guilty if we take a few minutes to do nothing-- anxiously analyzing what on our list will not get crossed off at the end of the day. That Friday was a "still" day; a day spent counting my blessings and spending uninterrupted and peaceful time with my family. Instead of a quiet calm after the storm, it was a quiet calm during one.

Category 4 Hurricane

2008-09-11T14:04:00.009-05:00

And it's not Ike or Josephine..... but much more destructive....his name is Eli. I am staring at our playroom upstairs where Eli (our 21 month old) has distributed out about 17 old Southern Living magazines, dumped over his toy basket, taken suitcases out of the closets, and strategically put his books in about 10 different locations all over the room. Like most boys I have seen his age, he is occupied with a task for about 5 minutes (if that) and then something else is urgently brought to his attention. We just finished eating lunch with a friend who recently moved to our area and has a 15 week old. Eli could not understand for the life of him why Baby Will did not want a french fry. I have a feeling that our little girl, due in January, is in store for a lot of tasty treats from her big brother.

I have included some pictures from our most recent Smokey Mountain Trip in August. Eli absolutely loved it. He loved the streams and all the rocks that he could throw from them. It was a true vacation for us because it was so relaxing. Relaxing these days is cherished with basketball season approaching fast. With this blog, I look forward to sharing a piece of our life with you-- from the perspective of both a mom and a coach's wife. Our life is adventurous and crazy at times, but for us, it's simply Stapler.

Following the Leader

2008-09-01T13:57:00.005-05:00

The time has finally come.... it is now time for me to join something that I have long avoided.... the blogging world. I never thought that I could actually have a blog since I still have pictures from Christmas 2007 that have not been downloaded off of our camera as of September 1, 2008--- a goal for this Labor Day weekend. Now that I have family living across the country, I have no choice but to blog so that they can still feel a part of our lives here on the east coast. Thanks Caylen for the inspiration......

I hope that you are all are enjoying a great holiday. I'm off to give Eli some fruit snacks.