Halfway through basketball season

I haven't updated about Lexie's basketball season because I don't have any pictures. Our camera had a problem right before Christmas, so we had to send it off to be repaired. Hopefully, we will get it back soon. I tried to get a few pics with the camera I keep in the diaper bag, but it just doesn't do well with action shots and the gym is kind of dim.

I can't believe her season is halfway over. I love watching her play. She is quite entertaining!! Most of the teams are pretty evenly matched. We either win or lose by a few points. But there are two teams that are in a league of their own. They both have a girl that will probably being playing in college and the WNBA.

Game 1- Win!

Game 2- Lost by 1 point. Lexie is a defensive player. That is why it is so fun to watch her. She becomes a completely different person when she steps on the court. In real life she is a very sweet, caring, giving person, but when she steps on the court look out. Well in this game, she fouled out. Not only that, but she got a technical!! I think Lexie gets more pleasure out of ripping the ball out of someone's hands than making a basket. Maybe basketball is how she relieves stress.

Game 3- Loss-- Played one of the really good teams. I think the score was 150-4. Just kidding, but that's what it felt like.

Game 4- Win!

Game 5- loss--We played the other really good team.

Hopefully we will get our camera back before her season ends, so I can share some pictures. I will try to update after each game because there is usually at least one funny story, but I can't remember after a few days.

What do I miss most about living in California?

THE WEATHER!!!

Our cup (toybox) overfloweth

We had Carter's party on Sunday. It was so much fun!! Carter got some really great toys, and he loves them all. He is getting really good at playing independently and entertaining himself. He has also become a walking pro. It is still adorable; he looks like a little monkey walking around.

I just love this picture of Lydia. She has some really funny expressions.

He was sooo tired. He only got a 20 minute morning nap, and this was way past time for his afternoon nap. He was in a really good mood for the entire party. I was pleasantly surprised.

His smash cake.

The birthday cake

Lydia's cake was so delicious and beautiful, I knew that I had to have the same bakery do it. I think the girl was about to kill me when I ordered it: "I want this from this cake, and this from this one, and can you do this, too?" I am very happy with how it turned out.

I thought the lion on top was amazing and the monkey sitting on the edge was so cute. I wish I was that talented (or even half that talented).

"Mmm, that was good. I think I'll have some more."

"Yay, nobody is taking it away."

I wasn't going to let him eat the whole cake because I heard that it would make him sick. He was eating it slowly, so I decided to start cutting the big cake. I guess when he saw I was distracted he dug in. After only a couple of minutes I looked up and he had eaten this much....

Carter definitely got my sweet tooth! He loves cake. In fact, the next night I sat down with a piece of the cake. He looked up and saw me with it. His eyes lit up and he started squealing. Uh oh, it was almost time for him to go to bed, so I put the cake away. He threw the biggest heart broken fit I have ever seen. The next day I shared a piece with him, when it was all gone- same fit!!

Still our LITTLE buddy

I took Carter for his checkup today. He is still hanging around at the bottom of the percentile rankings. He weighed 19 pounds and was 28 inches long-- 5th percentile for both. (He lost a pound last month when he was sick, so that didn't help.) The doc said he is doing great!!

We had a small birthday celebration last night. I made Carter's favorite dinner: baked ziti. Then we had cupcakes. His real party is Sunday. I can't wait!


12 cupcakes!



He shoved a whole cupcake in his mouth!!!



"Yay! Presents."

Oh, and teeth #7 and 8 were through this morning when he woke up.

He's ONE: a quick journey through his year

I can't believe my baby is already a year old! This year went by so fast. I am putting the milestones for each month under the picture. It was interesting looking back at his milestones. Some things he did really early, and others he did really late. (I am not saying that these are the best pictures to represent each month, but they are the best of the monthly cupcake/cookie pictures.)

This is a hat we got him to wear for his birthday pictures and his party. He was not interested in wearing it at all, so we have been letting him play with it for a while. He is wearing it for a few seconds now before he rips it off. Hopefully we can get some cute pictures.

January 7th-February 6th

Carter joined our family at 8:45 pm on January 7, 2008.

7 pounds 8 ounces and 21 inches long

(for more baby pictures click here)

*first real bath

*found his hands

*first real smile

*helped mom vote in the presidential primary

February 7th- March 6th

*laughs aloud

(Lexie has changed quite a bit also.)

March 7th- you get the idea :)

*rolled over from tummy to back at two month check-up

*first airplane ride

*meets the rest of the family

*turned when he heard his name

April

*Puts feet in his mouth

*Discovers his voice

May

*eats cereal

*doubles his birth weight

June

(I guess I forgot to do cupcakes this month.)

*rolls from back to tummy

*rolls over and over and over

*first Major League Baseball game-- Go Oakland!

*eats food other than cereal--loves every minute of it

*moves to Arkansas

*sits alone

July

*reaches for mommy and daddy

*claps

August

*waves bye-bye

*drinks from a straw

*says "dada"

September

*goes from tummy to sitting position

*first and second tooth

*crawls

*pulls up

*first NFL game

October

*stands up

*climbs the stairs

*helped mom vote in the presidential election

*sleeps through the night

*gets 3rd and 4th tooth

*says "mama"

November

*5th and 6th tooth

*first haircut

*rolls ball to daddy

December 7th- January 6th

*first step

*dances

*2nd haircut and 1st sucker-- yummy!!

*Monday he took 7-8 steps over and over and over. Last night he walked all over the place. Daddy told him he needed to walk before he turned one. I guess he listens to daddy. :-)


Comparison Pictures

The picture above is taken the day we took him home from the hospital. The legs on his outfit were way to long and he pulled his legs up, so in this picture his legs actually end where the buckle comes out of the car seat.

I put his big boy car seat in the car yesterday, but I'm not retiring this one just yet. Since he is a little guy, he will still fit in it for a while. So, I plan on using this seat if I think he will fall asleep, and I can just carry him in the house without having to wake him up. He really liked his new car seat when it was sitting in the house, but not so much when I actually buckled him in it. (He's male-- doesn't like being tied down.)

We go to the doctor tomorrow, and I will post his stats asap.

Happy Birthday!!! We love you very much.

Christmas Pictures (Finally!)

Trimming the Trees

Lexie's tree

Decorating the Gingerbread House

Shopping

"Let me massage your feet for you. My mom says shopping makes your feet hurt."

"I like shopping!!"

"Oh, I think I shopped too much."

Choir Concert

Lexie's chorus class here is a lot bigger than the one she was in in California. I really enjoyed the concert. The music was really fun.

Lexie helped wrap the presents.

I love this picture; it is so sweet. (Except for that stupid pacifier. Usually Carter only gets a paci at nap time and bedtime. When he was sick, we let him have it anytime to help keep him comfortable.)

Christmas with the Grandparents

"I got a hat just like daddy's!"

Lexie is showing Grandma Deanna that the inside of her new purse is purple (her favorite color).

My parents

Our "Happy Birthday Jesus" cake. Lexie and I made one every year. The last couple of years we didn't, but we decided it was time to restart the tradition.

"Oh, Rockband I love you!!"

This is the best game ever!! When we all play, whoever is singing gets to hold Carter. He has caught on to the whole singing thing, and now he sings along too. The most commonly heard phrase when we all play: "Step it up, we gotta save mom."-- I'm bad, but it's fun. The funny thing is, I usually get asked to be the singer. I am a terrible singer, but it's what I'm the best at on the game. Lexie and Monte are great singers, so you know I am bad at the drums and guitar if they are asking me to sing.

Christmas Eve

We always have a huge family Christmas Eve party at my parents' house. It is the biggest event of the year for my family.

Carter getting some love from Grandma Shirley.

"I'm tired of wearing this stupid hat. I don't care how adorable I look in it."

The highlight of the evening: The White Elephant gift exchange. Will you get a classy gift or will you get a gag gift? Will you get to keep it, probably not if it's a good gift. It is sooooo much fun!!

Lexie is sprinkling the reindeer food on the lawn. Carter fell asleep on the way home, so he didn't get to participate. Probably a good thing- he might have eaten it himself.

Our sparkling cider toast.


Lexie gets to pick one gift and open it on Christmas Eve. (I really got into the wrapping this year. This was my favorite one. She actually thought I had it wrapped.)

Christmas Morning

Santa came and he brought...

Coach boots for Lexie

and a wagon for Carter. "Yay!! I've wanted one of these since mom took me to that horrid pumpkin patch." He loves this wagon. We pull him around the house, and he starts kicking his feet if we stop. He even climbed in it and looked at us like"ready for a ride".

Notice my Wii Fit in the background. This game is great!! (but brutally honest) According to Wii Fit I'm 42!!! I guess I can't argue since on New Year's Eve I celebrated with the East Coast people and went to bed at 11:01 central time. This is the first year since I can remember that I didn't stay up until at least midnight.

Santa brought Tinkerbell a catnip toy. She rolled around with it forever. She was like a little kitten again.

He likes to play peekaboo with Tinkerbell in this house. He will play in this house forever. Great investment!!

It's official...We now have more toys than Toys R Us!

WOOHOO!!! While I was updating, Carter has been practicing walking. We are up to 4 steps in a row!! Way to go big boy.