Destin

We got back from Destin about a week ago. It was a really nice trip, long, but nice :)
We had a little bit of a rough start at the beginning though...we arrive on Saturday and our room is supposed to be ready no later than 2:00pm; the office tells us it will be 2:20 before we can get in. At 2:20 they still refuse to give us the key because it is still not ready...Chad said he was not coming back again and that they were to give us the key immediately (we had a toddler in the car that had been riding since 5:30AM and we were not interested in holding him off any longer...). They complied and gave us the key. As soon as we walk in the door, the cleaning lady is still there and only has 40% of the condo actually cleaned and she asks for one more hour. Nope sorry, you will have to clean around us, we're here to stay.
I noticed the condo was very hot, but I figured it had just been turned up since the last group left and the cleaning crew had all the doors open. By that evening it was still 77 degrees, so the realty company moves us to another condo at midnight.....that is on the bay, mind you, NOT across the street from the beach as we intended to be. Also, the condo we are moved to only has 2 bedrooms, not three, and that doesn't work well with 8 people. The next morning, they say that they have a unit big enough for us in Bay Town Village...still on the bay. We did not drive 5 1/2 hours to go to the pool, stare at the bay, and watch people play golf. We tell them no and ask for our money back, they comply.
Chad's parents knew a lady that they always rent from in Destin, so we hunt her down and she happens to have a townhouse unit across the street from the beach that we can have for the week. It was kind of in a neighborhood, so it was a little further than we like to walk to get to the beach, but they had a specific parking lot that we could drive to that was right across the street from the beach, and the pools there were really nice. After all we had been through I was just glad to be done packing and moving....3 times, yes, we packed and moved 3 times.
The rest of the trip went really well, Carter was a trooper, loved to sit on the beach (on a towel of course) and took naps on the beach and at the pool on the lounge chairs.
We did have one come-apart the last night at dinner and I had to do mommy duty and leave and take him back to the condo. I think he was just done.
We are supposed to go back to the beach in September with my family. Hopefully the oil won't spoil that trip because we will have all the babies, and it will be so fun...and probably a little wild.
I only have one picture posted at the top..I'm sure most of you who read my blog are also my friend on facebook so I figured I'd spare you the doubles...if you haven't seen them yet, I have about 100 posted and there is no way I could choose which ones to put on here!
I have tried my best to correct grammar and run-on sentences on this post, but there was just so much info I was trying to give, it may be a rough read...sorry!

"Cheeee!"

It was so nice today, so we played in the water on the back porch. Whenever a camera is in sight C will say "Cheeee"! The first video is of Carter saying cheese and the second is of him saying ball ("ba") and bye bye. I love hearing him talk, it is my favorite thing right now.

16 Months

Carter is 16 months old and it has been a while since I updated on all his new tricks. First off, he is such a joy to watch and he is a very happy baby. He babbles constantly in his own language but we are beginning to pin-point actual words here and there. So far, here is a list of his words: Mama, Dada/daddy, yay, bye-bye, ball, cheese, bubbles, and I'm pretty sure he tries to say thank you but it sounds nothing like it just yet.

He has been walking since about 13 months and he is now starting to run pretty well. He claps all the time and says "yay", especially when he knows he has done something good. He can kick a ball around the house like he's playing soccer. He got a set of play golf clubs from Mom and Pop and he LOVES them...Chad teaches him how to hit and then caddies for him and tells him what clubs to use next, it's really cute!

He loves books, he looks at them all day long. I have most of his favorite books in a little plastic wheel barrow by his bed and he drags all of them out. The majority of the day he prefers his books to toys. We also have bathtub books that he looks at in the bathtub. He is learning to get off the couch feet first although sometimes he goes head first, but we're getting there! Anytime he gets a hold of his comb or brush he brushes his hair and then puts it in his mouth.

He has 4 bottom teeth and is about to have 4 (or more) top teeth, we are fighting the teething battle currently.

He loves playing outside and has a meltdown when someone goes out and won't take him along. When he gets excited about anything he turns into an absolute chatter box and when he wakes up from a nap he wants to be cuddled for a few minutes. I could go on and on :) He is getting to be a big boy and we are enjoying every minute of him.

*Newer post below

Mother's Day

I had a great second Mother's Day. I am more thankful for Carter everyday, he is such a joy. I am blessed that the Lord has chosen us to raise this beautiful child.
We spent Friday and Saturday at the lake to celebrate my Mom's Mother's Day, and then we spent Sunday with Chad's Mom. Below is the picture Carter made me in Sunday School, I love hand print pictures!!
Earlier in the week, Carter and I also made Mother's Day cards for his Grandmothers. They also had his hand prints on them...and let's just say that it didn't go quite as I expected. You know, as a Mom, you picture in your head how a "special" moment is going to go and then it usually turns out a disaster...you'd think I'd learn by now that a 15 month old is unpredictable! So we get out all the supplies to do the cards and I first have him color a "picture" inside the card with crayons; well, he scribbles for a moment and then wants to take off around the house with the crayons in hand. We all know this is a recipe for disaster, so I run after him (this happens several times) and he becomes a noodle and lays on the ground crying. Somehow we finish coloring both cards and I strap him in his high chair to do the hand prints. Every kid likes getting their hands in paint, right? Nope. Not mine. Screamed the entire time, fists clinched; and I'm not really sure how I got the hand prints but I did and they looked pretty decent, I wish I had a picture! Our mother's loved them, and that's all that matters, even if the experience of making them wasn't quite as wonderful as I pictured it, ha!
When we got Carter from the nursery on Sunday, they said he also hated making this picture below, oh well, at least it wasn't just me!

Here are some lake pictures from the weekend:

Carter in Owen's bouncy

Boat ride

Grandma and Owen

Avery and Carter on their new seesaw

Avery and Carter and their new watches, Hello Kitty and Spiderman. They think they are big stuff ;)

Just a few of my favorite things..

I have tried a few new products lately and I have been impressed with most of them. I thought I would let you in on a few good ones just in case you need some recommendations.

ITEM #1: Clean and Clear Acne treatment
This ointment has been great. It claims to reduce swelling and redness within 8 hours and it definitely has been true to it's claim so far! I break out here and there so I just needed a spot treatment and this seems to have done the trick. I got it at Wal-mart for around $6.

ITEM #2: Jergens Natural Glow "firming" lotion:
I LOVE LOVE this stuff. I had originally bought it last year and liked it okay but for some reason this year I am a BIG fan. This spring I had a bottle left over from last year...used the rest of that one and have already bought a new one (side note: if you bought this product last year and didn't like the smell-KERRI- then you should buy a new bottle this year because they have improved it and the scent is very different and not as strong).
Anyways, the point of this product is it is a moisturizer that has a bit of self tanner in it, but it is so subtle, you will never have streaks and it just takes the pastiness out of your skin. Also, if you use it when you have an actual tan, it seems to help the fading process and you keep your tan much much longer. This year they have added a "firming agent" and it is supposed to help firm up your skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite.
The color develops over several days of use and is at it's maximum after 7 days. Just use the moisturizer as you would use any other lotion...oh and make sure you wash your hands after applying :) Got this one at Target, it goes for $7.99 but I had a coupon :) Not sure how much it is at Wal-mart, it may be cheaper.

PRODUCT #3: Herbal Essences Long Term Relationship products.
Well, I made a rash decision when I was pregnant and I chopped my hair off. I really don't know what I was thinking...must have been the hormones. Now I am growing it back out (almost there)...and I have started using this to help keep it healthy. They have a shampoo, conditioner, and leave in conditioner and I have been using all three. Gives your hair a great smell and texture and helps protect it against breakage. If you don't have long hair, then Herbal Essences makes several other types of shampoo/cond. that are for your type hair, ie. short, frizzy, wavy, straight, more body...etc. $5.00 at Target and Wal-mart

PRODUCT #4: Tresemme Heat Tamer Spray

This is a spray that will protect your hair against the heat that you use to style your hair. I use it when my hair is wet right before I blow it dry, and then once it is dry I use it before I put the straightening iron on it. The formula is very light and doesn't leave your hair feeling gross. I like it! Around the $3.50 range at Target.

At the moment those are my fave products and I thought I would share them with everyone. So, any marketing folks reading this... feel free to give me a free product, I'll use it and promote it on my blog and then you can compensate me :)

Happenings.

We have been doing some fun things since the weather has been warming up (thank you Jesus). Carter has played in his splash pad and baby pool on our back deck, we have been to the Zoo a couple of times, we have gone to the park, and strolled up and down our street in his red car buggy. Last weekend we went to Grandma and Grandpa's lake house and it was so warm that Carter was able to play in the sprinkler Great Grandma had bought for the babies. We did not come prepared with his bathing suit so we just let him play in his diaper (but he did have spf on)! Later on he was naked in the front yard, but I'm not going to post those pictures all over the internet. Let me just say, he was quite content with no diaper on. Below are some pictures of him playing with his sand toys and sprinkler...

That evening, after Kevin and Liz got there, Carter and Avery got to play together...and it looks like Avery has the right idea!

This is a separate occasion at home. We have a new obsession and that is coloring. Anything that remotely resembles a crayon or pen, we pretend we are coloring. So I went to the dollar tree and bought a coloring book and Daddy went by K-Mart and bought some Crayolas and here he is loving every minute of it.

Oh, and he pitches a fit if either Chad or I try to color with him. It is HIS coloring book and HIS crayons and you can forget helping or trying to color a picture yourself! You'll see below I colored Pluto's tongue...well that's as far as I was able to get before I was caught!

He also loves to destroy the pantry any chance he gets, which usually happens while I'm making supper.

Item of choice: Spices

Chad and I were cleaning up the kitchen and we hear banging coming from down the hallway...shortly after, in comes Carter dragging this. My laundry basket from my closet.

Daddy driving Carter through the house in the laundry basket.

Tubes

Carter got his tubes on Wednesday morning at 6:45 and I am so glad it's over! For 3 weeks I have been worried about keeping him well so he doesn't turn up with a fever the day before or the day of surgery. As some of you read in previous posts, our insurance is changing as of April 1st and we NEEDED to have this surgery done on March 31st. Praise God that he was well and just fine to go through with the surgery. The Dr. said that Carter had some fluid in his ears that he suctioned out and everything looked great. It was a breeze and we were home within 2 hours.
One change I have noticed is that Carter no longer wakes up from his naps (or in the morning) crying. That used to be an everyday thing for us, and I was never really sure why he was so upset when he woke up. I thought it might have been because of fluid in his ears but I wasn't sure...now I'm sure! I love waking up in the morning to hearing him chatter to himself in his bed, rather than bloody murder screaming, it's nice :)
I took some picture at Children's South while we were waiting for him to be taken back. It is so kid friendly there and every one who worked there was fabulous. So, if your baby needs tubes, tell your pediatrician to send you to a doctor at Children's South, they will really take care of you!

The picture above is after they brought him back to me. He was pitiful, but the nurse said when they are coming out of the anesthesia they are confused so sometimes they get a little upset. After about 10 minutes and cartoons in the car he was much better.

Thanks for all the prayers!