My poor, neglected blog....

Okay, its been awhile. Every time I've thought about updating, I've shuddered at how long its been and how much catching up there is to do. Since the last post, we've moved, prepared for Baby #2, and otherwise just been our goofy selves....

The house: We didn't move very far away, but that of course didn't matter. I still cannot get over how much stuff you can accumulate in less than ten years. Massive trips to Goodwill, lots of help from Nana and Papa Ned with everything from painting to landscaping to gutter cleaning, and then of course all the unpacking....and we have sold one house and moved into a new one. We absolutely love it. We love having space, love having a bonus room, love our large kitchen, and our neighborhood! Its such a perfect layout for our family - lots of open, large living space and we are so pleased that we made the move.

The baby: Baby Boy is due to make his appearance at any time, really. Up until a couple of weeks ago, this pregnancy was so similar to Carson's, but then there was the puffiness, and then the blood pressure on the rise. I've raised a few eyebrows at the midwife's office lately, so I know I'm not the only one ready for this little guy to get here. Hopefully soon!

Timbo: He's busy with triathlons - just finished one, preparing for another - and is enjoying the nightly coverage of the Tour de France. He's so excited about having a little boy!

Carson: (aka Miss Independent) She loves to do everything herself and I usually love giving her the freedom to do so. She continues to amaze us everyday. Just this week, she jumped off the diving board at the pool. Tim was there to catch her, but we were astounded that she would even think about it.

She seems to be very excited about the baby. She spends lots of time in his room with her baby dolls (some clothes have made their way out of the drawers and onto her babies - hmmmm....) and she talks about how she wants to hold him, feed him, play, etc. We'll keep you posted on that one!

That doesn't even begin to cover the last few months, but I had to start somewhere. I'll work hard to be back soon!

Recently Overheard....

The hits just keep on coming at our house. Here's a sampling of how she keeps us in stitches:

Me: Do you need help with your clementine, or can you peel it yourself?
Carson: I can do it, Mommy
(Tries for a minute, then frustration sets in)
Me: Do you need help? I can help you? (My own frustration is starting to rise)
Carson: No, I'll do it, Mommy. Relax, just relax.
(actually it sounds more like "re-yax, just re-yax")

The next day we're driving on I-40 and this guy in front of me keeps changing lanes and won't make up his mind.
Me: Come on dude! You are making me crazy!
Carson: (from the backseat) Me too!

And later that night...
Tim arrives home after a long, stressful day.
Me (at the fridge): Do you want a beer with dinner, honey?
Tim: Yeah, that would be great.
Carson: I want one too!

I got my wish!

My mother-in-law reminded me that on my last post I wrote that I wouldn't mind one more good snow. Well, I got my wish! We were snowed in on Friday night with about 6 inches, which made for some good playtime on Saturday and even more so on Sunday. Carson really got in to riding on the sled and was excited about using her "snowman kit" that she got last Christmas. The big hit though, was coming down the slide on her snowed under swingset. Since she was dressed head to toe in waterproof-wear, it made for a very slick and fast ride down.
Its tough walking around in the snow with ten thousand layers on!

With the sun out on Sunday, we joined lots of neighbors sledding at the bottom of the neighborhood. The temps were much nicer too.

Ta-da! Our snowman....

When we asked Carson what we should name him, she responded, "Umm....snowman"

Hello, hello...

Hi Friends...
Live from the ladybug tent...its another Christmas present that's made the cold winter days a little more fun inside. It even has a detachable tunnel. Of course it takes up the majority of floor space in our living room, so it doesn't stay up for extended periods of time, but it does make its way out for a day or two every week or so. Something about being in the tent makes playing with all of your regular toys more fun.

I snapped this picture pretty recently. She finally has enough hair for some decent pigtails, AND she sits still long enough to let me play with her hair AND she doesn't pull out my hard work five minutes after I'm finished. I think she's finally gotten tired of her hair falling in her face. Although I swear her hair isn't getting any longer, its just getting wider. Curls out the wazoo.

More fun with toys from Daddy's gym bag. Speaking of Daddy and the gym, he's scheduled for three triathlons this spring and summer, including an Olympic-distance one in June. I am so thrilled that he's switched to training in the mornings also. He hates getting up at 5:15, but I'm so glad he's home all evening with us. And Carson's pretty happy about it too...

The New Year's hat and horn still make several appearances each week. I keep hoping that little cardboard horn will wear out, but I've not been so lucky yet. Poor Abby dog - she's the one who's really unnerved by it.
We made Rice Krispie Treats with Carson for the first time the other night. Nothing like having one warm out of the pan!

And...we did make it to the park for one of the really warm days last week. Its so nice when she can play without a heavy jacket. I am so ready for spring - although I wouldn't mind one more good snowstorm.

And what else is our little lady up to? All kinds of big girl things. She's very much into imaginative play - dress up, princess, baby dolls, etc. Its so much fun to see her get all dressed up, pack her baby bag and purse and cruise around with her baby and stroller. She talks and talks and talks. She's a negotiator. She'll ask for goldfish crackers twenty minutes before lunch and after I say no, she responds, "just a few, Mommy, just a few". At least she's not whining! Don't get me wrong, she does her share of that too.

She's been out of the crib for quite a while (since August) and that went amazingly well. We've got to get her out of her toddler bed and into a regular bed soon - she's about to outgrow it. She's been doing the whole potty training thing for a while too, and she's about 90% there. She and I have taken a little Mommy and me dance class this fall too and she's loved it. I think we might try swimming next.

She's growing so fast and its so fun to be a part of it all.

Carson's also going to have a new title later this summer - big sister.

Yes, you read it correctly. I guess we might even have to change the name of our little blog to Four Story House!

And now this tired momma-to-be is signing off and heading to bed!

Happy New Year...

Settle in, friends. Lots of pictures to catch up on here (since I haven't posted since, ahem, the fall) Shame on me. For the record, these are all pretty random and just a smidge of what we've been up to the last few weeks. This was one of the last shots of the Halloween candy. We kept it around for 4 or 5 days, but once I hid the loot in the pantry during naptime one day, she never asked for it on a regular basis again. We still sneak into every now and then.

Carson loves to cook. Muffins and pancakes are her favorites. She either sits on the counter and stirs or grabs her step stool and watches.

I couldn't resist snapping this one with her arms stretched back like this!

We spent Thanksgiving at the beach with my family.

Nana and Papa came for the Mebane Christmas Parade (which was close to 2 hours long - next year I will bring a chair!)

Carson and Santa - Thank goodness there were candy canes - they were the ultimate selling point.

Carson made a tricked-out gingerbread house at our neighbor's get-together, with just a little help from Mommy.

Tim and I got a night away at the Grove Park right before Christmas - lots of snow in the mountains. I am ready to go back!

Christmas morning - nothing like a candy cane at 7am.

Another big hit from Christmas - a puppy dog that barks and walks from Uncle Jeremy and Aunt Corie.

And...a hairstyling kit with a battery operated hairdryer!

That's it for now. I've still got lots more to catch up on, so I'll be back soon. Promise!

Happy Fall

I was able to take these before the 4 straight days of rain last week. I am so glad the sun is back! Our little lady is busy with lots of stuff these days, and I'll be back soon to give you a full update. Promise.

Happy Halloween!

We had so much fun last evening. Hope you all did too!

Shouting "trick or treat" at the top of her lungs...

She really got into the trick-or-treating thing...and wasn't shy at all about ringing the doorbell and reaching into the bowl and self-serving if offered the chance to do so. That's right...lots of candy for Mom and Dad to steal later...