Our Carli is a Blessing - A Gift From Heaven Above

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A WEE BIT OF HEAVEN DRIFTED DOWN FROM ABOVE

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YOU LIGHT UP THE WORLD WITH YOUR SWEET BIG BOY CHARMS

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You're So Precious to Me, Sweet as Can Be, Baby of Mine

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Friday, February 26, 2010

Splish Splash!

Have we ever mentioned how much Carli enjoys her baths?!

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Thursday, February 25, 2010

Grammy's Grandkids

Logan, Grammy and Aunt Chelle came up on Saturday and spent the afternoon with us. Carli and Logan took full advantage of having each other to play with AND their Grammy around as well. At one point we were all in the living room, and they just had to have Grammy come read them a book in Carli's room...

When Ava gets here, Carli is going to have so much fun when Logan and Aunt Chelle come to spend some time with us! Thanks Grammy, Aunt Chelle and Logan for coming up to see us!

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Wednesday, February 24, 2010

The Boots (Shoes) Were Made For Walking...

At Christmas, Carli was really interested in Megan's boots. She wanted to wear them so badly. Uncle Kevin finally helped her out, but she never quite mastered the art of walking in them...

Fast forward to February, and Carli is still very interested in shoes. She picks out my shoes every morning - most of the time they are house shoes, flip flops or my long ago "running" shoes...so I have to be coy about sneaking my tennis shoes out of the closet while she is busy with other important matters. The other day, Carli was playing in the kitchen but got really quiet which usually means something is going on that ought not to be. So I got up to investigate and saw her walking in my shoes - by the time I got the camera she had made it out of the kitchen into the living room! Pretty impressive!!


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Tuesday, February 23, 2010

It's Cold Outside

When Keith and I had our date night a couple of weeks ago, Pa and Grammy babysat Carli. Apparently Carli really wanted to go outside, and Pa kept telling her it was cold outside, burrr!! And so begin Carli's new trick...



Keith took this video on Sunday afternoon while I was at the store - granted it was the nicest day was have had in a while, but if you ask Carli about outside, she will tell you it's "BURRR!!!."

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Monday, February 22, 2010

27 Weeks 4 Days

Here is our bump picture for the week - Carli managed not to have her hands in her mouth or be watching TV - but she wouldn't open her eyes!

We tried really hard to get a good picture of Carli on Sunday b/c she was in such a cute outfit with a big bow! This was the best we could manage...she was way too busy to stop for a picture and the bow didn't last through church service!

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Thursday, February 18, 2010

If Your Happy & You Know It...

Carli loves watching her "Your Baby Can Read" videos. Really, she comes and goes when she watches them but we can guarantee that she will stop whatever she is doing to listen to the songs. We have one video at home and the rest we alternate between the cars. If you get motion sickness easy, you may not want to watch this video - I've been trying for weeks to get her doing "If Your Happy & You Know It" on video and we just happened to be in the truck when I got a decent one this time...



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Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Ava Ruth Hays

To My Baby Girl –

I have started this note to you more than once and the words seem to get stuck in my head. I know what I want to convey to you, but I just can’t seem to put it on paper. You have been full of surprises thus far and I am getting more and more excited to meet you come May. To say that I am prepared and ready would be a lie. I am scared and unsure to be honest. The reality of you being here hasn’t really hit me yet, but I’m sure you will come, whether I am ready or not! I pray every night for God to give me enough love to share with you and your sister, and I am sure He will. After all, your Grammy loved all three of her kids with no problems, as did your Naggy. I am sure, just like when your sister arrived; there is no explanation for the love that will overwhelm us all for you.

We struggled for a long time trying to name you. Your Daddy and I pondered name after name – and everyone else shared their opinions too. Your sister has a very special name to us. Carli Lynn was named after your Grandpas and I think that is so awesome. She has this special bond with them, and will get to carry that with her wherever she goes. I wanted that for you – I wanted to give you that gift of heritage in your name as well.


There are two very special women in our lives. You will get to know them well when you get here. You have two of the most awesome Grandmas. Words cannot express all that they mean to your Daddy and I. We thought long and hard about trying to name you after them, but the problem is that they don’t like their names! So, I’m not sure how much honoring we would have done for them to name you by names that they do not like! Truthfully, your Daddy and I think that they have beautiful names, but you can’t change the way ppl think.

Tessie Jean is your wonderful Naggy, your Daddy’s Momma. She has such a creative spirit. From the first time I met her, she made me feel welcomed into her family. Your Naggy has her hands full with all the men in her life. She was so overjoyed to learn that you were coming and us girls were going to outnumber the men in the family! Your Naggy is such a devoted friend, wife and mother. She takes care of her own and is very loyal to us all. Naggy may live a ways away but that does not keep her from being a part of our lives. We get to talk to her and Pappy at least once a week, and your sister will be sure share all the wonderful times she and Naggy have had. My hope is one day, you will understand that Tessie Jean is more than just a name – it is your Naggy, someone who would go to the end of the world and back for you.

And then we have your Grammy, my Momma. When I think of Nancy Catherine or Cassie, your Grammy, I think of her loyalty, love and giving nature. Your Grammy would do anything for us. She really does. She tries her best to “stay out of the way” but really I’m not sure there is such a thing as your Grammy being in the way! She is one of my best friends. I talk to her every day. She is simply awesome. She’s an amazing cook, so much fun to bargain shop with and so awesome when it comes to her grandkids. She is a wonderful woman of God. She has taught me more by her actions than any Sunday school teacher could have taught me. I have cried on her shoulder many times and there were no words needed to find comfort there. One day, you’ll understand these amazing qualities in your Grammy – and you’ll see what I see when I hear Nancy or Cassie or Catherine – you’ll see one amazing Godly woman.

But since your Grandmas do not see things the way your Daddy and I do, we prayed and thought long and hard about how we would honor these wonderful ladies while still respecting their opinions. And so, we decided what better way to honor them than to do so by looking at their Moms.

Ava comes from your Daddy’s grandmother. Her real name was Avialene, but she went by Avia (pronounced ah-vuh). While Ava is not pronounced or spelled the same, your Daddy and many of his cousins think of their Granny when they hear Ava. And your Daddy will have an avenue to tell you all about his Granny and his Momma when you ask where your name came from. I never had the privilege of meeting Granny, but I know your Daddy loved her very much. And I know enough about her family to know that she was a wonderful woman who loved and served both her family and God. We are very thankful for the legacy she has passed down through her kids and grandkids, and are extremely proud to name you after her.

Just like your big sister, your middle name holds quite a significant meaning. Hazel Ruth Smith was my Grandmother – Grammy’s mom. She was a graceful, Godly woman. Really, when I think of grace, elegance, strength - I think of my Grandmother. She held strong to her beliefs, she supported her husband and raised some wonderful kids. I remember finger painting at my Grandmothers house, and not getting to watch TV - but they did take us to the movies. Strange what things we remember. My Grandmother loved cookies, and to snack throughout the day. She was very particular about what she wore and how comfortable it was over how it looked. One day, you’ll have to remind me to tell you about the one characteristic that Grandmother said she shared with me. She was a wonderful mother, wife, grandmother and most of all committed to God. I know you will never get to know my Grandmother, but you will know your Grammy and through both Grammy and I, you will know all about Hazel Ruth Smith.

So, little Ms. Ava Ruth Hays. I know one day soon I will be holding you in my arms and experience that surreal moment of knowing that I am your Momma and that you are here, you are real and you are one wonderful, unique little girl. I also know, that you will be your own little person, and I don’t expect you to be just like your sister, or me, or either of your Grandmas. But I do hope you know that your name carries so much honor, love, and faith – that in your own way you will carry a little piece of the heritage we pray we pass on to you through your name.


With all my Love...

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Monday, February 15, 2010

SNOW!

It's no secret that Friday 49 of the 50 states had snow fall! Kind of cool. What was really awesome about this snow storm was that it was real snow, not preceded by loads and loads of ice that would have made life quite miserable. When we woke up Friday morning this is what we saw:

Good 'ol Hooptie was no where to be found!

This was Carli's first true snow experience...


She really wasn't sure what to think about it all. She was really excited to watch the snow fall from the safety and warmth of her house, but not so sure about actually playing in it!


I did finally get her to at least touch some...if you call one finger carefully poking it, a touch.


Despite being with out power from 7:30 to 3 pm that day, we stayed pretty warm. Keith still had work and Carli and I built a fire in the fire place, fired up our iPod and played indoors. Not too shabby!


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Sunday, February 14, 2010

Valentines Day!

Valentine's Day sure is going to be more and more enjoyable as Carli gets older. We made Valentines this year to mail out to some of our favorite ppl (Grandparents & Cousin Logan) - turns out handmade cards are cool, but very time consuming. Keith was a good sport about helping out. Maybe next year Carli will be able to help more!



Carli also got some very special Valentine Cards and Gifts as well. Naggy and Pappy gave her gifts early last week when Naggy was here. She got some really cute clothes and a "Vroom Vroom" (car) full of candy...thankfully she sees the car and the candy as one right now and hasn't asked me to get the candy out! :) Cousin Logan sent her a cute Valentine he made her, she gave it hugs and kisses and pointed out it's little eyes, feet and hair (antennas). She pretty much loved it to death. She got special cards from her Aunt Chelle and Uncle Andy as well as Grammy and Pa that she walks around the house reading to herself.

Here's Carli and Grandma reading her Valentine Card from Grammy and Pa:

Grammy and Pa also gave her a little gift too - think she liked it?




One of the best Vday gifts I got this year was to get to go on a date with Keith. We are natural homebodies...even when we didn't have a kid, we didn't go out much. But to say we hadn't gone to a movie in over two years was a bit pitiful. So when Grammy and Pa called up and offered to come babysit so we could go out, we didn't turn them down. This was the first time I let go of routine and told them how we did Carli's nightly bedtime routine and left. I was so worried Carli wouldn't like something different - but Grammy and Pa handled her like champs (maybe they've done this baby thing before?) and Carli gave them no problems. Pa played baby dolls with her, Grammy cooked her some dinner - they gave her her night time bath, read her book, said her prayer and down she went at 7:10 pm! No kidding and slept all night long! I was so proud of both her and I...I finally am learning to let go! :) Good thing since another one is on the way and we will be needing a bit of help in May!

Keith and I had a great time on our date - dinner, Lowes and a movie...what could be better? The Valentine's Day movie was cute - kind of cheesy but cute. Not a bad choice at all. We had a great time.

Hope everyone else had a wonderful Valentine's day as well - here's our 26 week belly shot from this morning...


(Carli was watching CMT - but at least her fingers weren't in her mouth!)

Baby #2 has a name! I am hoping to post about that this week...

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Friday, February 12, 2010

Did Someone Say Ice Cream?

People have asked me if I've had any weird cravings with this pregnancy. I can honestly say, the food itself has not been weird. Nothing like peanut butter on pickles...actually pickles are only good on cheese burgers. But I did go through a stage when I wanted Snickers all the time...I'm over it now (too bad my waist line won't recover so quickly). With Carli I did crave Apple Juice, insane amounts of Apple Juice. I even cried when Keith would not come home one day to open the new Apple Juice container for me. I haven't been that extreme this time.

But last weekend we made a trip up to Dallas to meet Naggy and Pappy. It was cold - below freezing actually and I told Keith I really, really needed some cookies-n-cream ice cream from Braum's in a waffle cone. He asked couldn't we just stop at DQ or Sonic...no that would not do. So being the good hubby that he is, we stopped. And it was very good!

The next day as we were heading home with Naggy in tow, I really wanted some more ice cream...it was below freezing outside again...Keith didn't even bat an eye. And Naggy even joined in the ice cream frenzy and got some as well.

I really think ice cream taste so much better when it is so cold outside...after all, it doesn't melt near as quickly!

Carli usually will simply put her lips on the ice cream and say "MMMMMM" but nothing more. So when Naggy asked if she could share, I told her sure! Carli wouldn't eat any but would think she would...oops. Carli latched onto Naggys cone and proceeded to eat to her little heart's content...
She rather enjoyed her ice cream in the freezing cold weather - ahhh, a girl after her Momma's heart!

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Thursday, February 11, 2010

Cleanliness

In case some of you were concerned that we were not letting Carli properly bath her babies...

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Wednesday, February 10, 2010

25 Week, 4 Days

Carli has been quite the photogenic child...always with her hand in her mouth these days...


It takes a few shots to get her hand out of her mouth, and then she thinks it is a game and in the process of trying to free her hand from Momma's grasp, we get a decent smile, but she is partially hidden...

What fun!

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Sunday, February 7, 2010

3 Teeth

16 Months 6 Days old - Carli's top left tooth has broken through!

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Saturday, February 6, 2010

Baby Night

Yesterday was awesome. Carli was in an amazing mood - she played and had a blast. It was awesome. Last night when it was time to get ready for bed, Carli had to bring Daddy all her babies and he had to rock one while she tucked the other in, between sips of milk of coarse.


Rocking babies and tucking them in was all good and well - but when it came time to give Carli a bath, she did not understand why her babies did not get a bath as well. So Momma had to bring the babies into the bathroom so the screaming would stop and the babies observed bath time.


Carli even read them a story - Chuy included! Usually we have a hard time getting her to stand up to rinse off but last night she refused to sit down b/c she had to keep an eye on the babies.


With bath time over, we couldn't leave the bathroom without the babies. Carli was asking for the second baby when Daddy took this picture!


Babies observed the nightly ritual of ear cleaning, drying off, putting lotion on and getting pj's on. All was okay until it was time to put on our socks to keep Carli's feet warm - and babies needed socks too!

Wish I could tell you that bedtime was a breeze - even with all the babies in the bed with Carli. But Keith said she woke up quite a few times (Momma was worn out from vacuuming, pitiful, I know) - perhaps her front top teeth are finally coming in...we shall see. In the meantime, we had a nice family nap today and thankfully all the babies weren't invited to join. Not sure we would have all fit on the bed! But as I type, Daddy is reading a story to them all in her room.

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Friday, February 5, 2010

Carli's Week with Naggy

It's in pictures b/c Momma was not here to report - but really, the pictures speak for themselves about how good of a time they had with each other...funny, Naggy has managed to not make a single picture again...hmmm...

We did get to see Pappy for a little bit in Dallas last weekend when we went to meet him so we could bring Naggy home with us...

Carli showed Naggy just how good a banana was...


And Naggy brought Yoshi home with her - Carli has apparently shown Naggy how good her balance is by standing on top of him, such a talented child!


Carli's new thing is to climb on top of her toy chests and look out the window...Naggy says she was resting here...


And Big Headed Baby got lots of loving this week. Carli worked hard at covering, carrying and feeding Big Headed Baby...


Naggy said Carli had sat Big Headed Baby in her chair, covered her up and tried to sit down next to her. Only she misjudged and sit down too quickly, awesome picture of baby arms and legs flying!


And when Naggy gets a phone call, Carli empties Naggy's purse!


Good night everyone - showing Naggy her monkey and his mouth, nose, ears and eyes!!!

Thanks Naggy for an awesome week with Carli. We really enjoyed you being here and spoiling us all rotten!

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