Disney- Animal Kingdom

I am having to post about our trip in sections. If I waited until I have time to post about the whole thing, then you wouldn't see pictures until next Spring Break! We had a great trip! We were not ready to come home, especially since it was snowing here.


The day we got to Orlando we just hung around the hotel. Lexie and Carter were both on their second day of an antibiotic, so it was good to relax and let the meds work a little more before we hit the parks.


Taking a baby/toddler to Disney World was a lot easier and more fun than I thought it would be. Several people have asked me for some tips, so I kept an ongoing list while I was there and I will have a tips post as soon as I finish posting about the parks. (I got tips from other people too before we went.)


We stayed at Disney's Boardwalk Villas. It was beautiful!! (Thanks Monte!) The location was great because we could walk to Epcot and Hollywood Studios. The buses for the other parks ran every 20 minutes, so we never had to wait very long.

Lexie and Monte winning worthless junk. (Although they didn't actually win anything this time.)

Carter watching Monte and Lexie. Probably wondering why he gets in trouble for throwing things.

ANIMAL KINGDOM

The first day at the parks we went to Animal Kingdom.


Waiting for the bus at the hotel.



Carter fell asleep on the way to the park. (This happened most days.)

We had lunch at The Rainforest Cafe.

Lexie took Carter around to look at all the cool stuff in the restaurant. He loved it!! She was a HUGE help on the trip. It was great because she loved watching him have fun too, so she didn't get jealous when we did stuff he liked. She also took him around to look at things while we waited in line.

"Oh, no! Mom is driving!"

Lexie next to a "dinosaur".

At the parade

We didn't actually stop and watch it. We watched it as we walked past. It was going one way and we were going the other. We got to see most of it. It was kind of like watching it in fast forward.

Waiting in line for Lion King

Lexie kept sticking the sticker on Carter, and he would pull it off and hand it back to her. Finally he handed it to a little girl in line, and he clapped when she took it away.

Carter danced through the entire Lion King show. We all had to take turns holding on to him. The show was awesome! Lexie and I saw it when she was 6, and it was even better than we remembered. It's a must see if you go.

The Safari

Our driver was a maniac!

Carter was making noises with his hand.

Carter LOVED the characters! (Especially Sleeping Beauty- more about that later.) I wasn't sure how he would feel about them. I actually expected him to be scared of them. Lexie liked them too, but that's a secret. She would use Carter as an excuse to go see the characters.

Go with your gut

This is a post I meant to post before I left for vacation, but I was too busy packing and taking care of a sick baby and teen.

I posted previously that Carter had an ear infection in both ears. Well, he never really got better. I made 4 trips to the doctors' office in 12 days. (And no, I am not one of those people that takes their child to the doctor every time they sneeze.) My title for this post is 'go with your gut' because if you don't feel your doctor is right, get a second opinion. Doctors are human, and they do make mistakes.

Here is a recap of our 12 days:
Day 1- I took Carter to the doctor, and he had an ear infection in both ears. We didn't see our regular pediatrician (Dr. F) because he was booked up, so we saw another pediatrician (Dr. C) in the same clinic.

Day 4- Carter was getting worse instead of better. We went to another pediatrician (Dr. H) in the same office. (Our pediatrician is very popular.) He checked Carter's ears and said they looked better. He said he just had a cold on top of the ear infection.

Days 6-7- Carter was almost back to normal. He was playful and laughing.

Day 8- He starts acting fussy again.

Day 9- Carter has a fever of 103. I call the pediatrician's office and they can't get him in until the next day.

Day 10- Fever is up to 104. We see Dr. C again. She looks in his ears- says they are fine. She looks in his throat- says it's a little pink. She gives him a flu test- it comes back negative. She says it is just a virus and he should be better by the time we leave for Disney World. (in 3 days)

Day 11- Here is where the go with your gut comes in. Carter is a very happy and playful little boy. By this point he was crying nonstop, and by crying I mean screaming. I was getting very worried because I have read too many blogs about sick children that don't get better and end up having cancer or another horrible illness. (I am actually no longer allowed to blog hop because of this. I am also banned from WebMD.) I called my sister and she talked to my BIL (a doctor) and they told me that viruses can last for a long time and be very painful, but to definitely take him back to the doctor if I felt he needed to be seen again. (My sister was very comforting.) I decided to take Carter to my general doctor. Monte and I have both seen him, and we really liked him. He is very thorough and takes time to explain things.

Day 12- I take Carter to see Dr. H, and guess what? Carter has an ear infection in both ears AND strep throat!!! Needless to say we will not be going back to Dr. C. Dr. H put Carter on a really strong antibiotic, and by the next morning he was feeling a lot better. By the time we got to Disney World, two days later, he was happy and having fun with Mickey Mouse. I am so glad that I trusted my instincts and got a second opinion.

Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives

One of Lexie's favorite TV shows is Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives. She has been talking about pancakes she saw on an episode that she wanted to make. Last night we had breakfast for dinner, and she made her pancakes. She and Monte thought they were really good. (I just had plain ones.) The banana ones were their favorite. I think I will let her take over cooking dinner from now on :-)

She made a Mickey Mouse pancake for Carter.

Enjoying the Weather

As I have posted before, Carter has been sick. We had a couple of days that he was back to normal, but now he has a virus. The doctor said he should be fine by the time we leave for our trip. (It's only 2 days away, so I'm not so sure.)

Luckily the weather was really nice when Carter felt good, so we went to the park. He loves to swing and watch the bigger kids. He also liked climbing up one of the play structures. He thinks he is one of the big kids, and he tries to do what they do.

I love it when he wears shorts. I think he looks so cute showing off his chunky legs. (If only chunky legs looked cute a 34 year old woman.)

When we were in Russellville there were several hours between Lexie's performance and the awards at the end, so we found a park and took Carter to play. (Lexie stayed with the church youth group.) There were not swings at this park, but he loved the slide.

Carter does not hold himself up when he goes down the slide, so we ended up with some really funny pictures. We also thought his shoes might be gripping the slide and causing him to spin around. I was laughing so hard I could barely take pictures. I couldn't wait to see what position he was in when he came around the corner.

Maybe if we take off the shoes that will help.

Nope!

The non-curvy slide was easier for him.

Spring Break Prayer Requests

I know many of you are traveling over Spring Break, and I hope you all have safe and happy trips.

A few specific requests:

First, my brother and his family are going on a mission trip to Guatemala over the break. They will be working at an orphanage and doing a few other things. Please pray for them. They have two 12 year old girls, and traveling out of the country with kids can be scary (for me any way).

Next, please pray for my family. We are leaving for Disney World on Saturday. Large crowds always make me nervous. I am super paranoid about my children getting lost. Also I am nervous about flying with Carter. It wasn't difficult flying with him when he was not mobile, but I am really not sure what to expect now. Fortunately Lexie is really easy to travel with. Just give her a couple of books and she's good to go. Also, Carter is still sick. He was back to normal for a couple of days, then he woke up from his nap today with a fever. I am taking him to the doctor tomorrow, so hopefully he will be healthy for the trip. Please pray that we will have a safe, healthy, and happy trip.

Enjoy your Spring Break!!

Puppet Master

Lexie competed in the Fine Arts Talent Competition on Saturday in Russellville. She did a really good job. She and her partner received a "superior" rating. I tried to upload the video, but I kept getting an error message. I also don't have any pictures of the actual performance because they wouldn't let you use a flash, so my pictures didn't turn out. (I really need to read my owner's manual or take a class.)



Lexie and Keely practicing with their puppets.




Lexie and Starburst (the puppet)
Keely's puppet is named Skittles.

Prayer Request

***UPDATE***
My uncle woke up yesterday and started asking for water. They gave him real food today, and hopefully he will move to a regular room in the next few days. Thanks for your prayers!

****************
Please pray for my Uncle James. He is in critical condition in the ICU, and he is not doing very well. Please pray that he will be healed. If it is not God's will that he is healed, please pray for comfort and peace for my family.
I can't imagine what my mom and her siblings must be going through. The thought of losing one of siblings just... well I can't describe the pain I would feel.
Thanks for your prayers. I will update you as soon as I know something.

ONE OF THE HAPPIEST DAYS OF MY LIFE

Today? Definitely not! But three years ago today was pure bliss. Lexie and I flew out to California to see Monte, and we showed Lexie around San Francisco. We had lunch at one of our favorite restaurants on Pier 39. Then Monte took us to Stinson Beach to play around. Right before we left, Monte dropped to one knee. I thought, "Oh my gosh, he's going to ask, he's going to ask." Then I thought, "Don't get too excited maybe he dropped something." Well he did not drop anything, but he did pull the most beautiful ring out of his pocket. My feet did not hit the ground for a very long time.

Monte has blessed my life in so many ways. He is a wonderful husband and a terrific dad. He makes us feel safe and secure. Every vacation we have ever taken has been amazing because he researches and researches to make sure he makes it the best vacation possible. He knows how to be silly and serious. I have never doubted his love for me or worried about infidelity. I completely trust him no matter where he is. I am an emotional person (I am female after all), and handles my emotions so well.

Monte is also a very brave man. When he asked me to marry him, he was a 31 year old male that had never been married and had no sisters. Not only was he willing to bring me in to his life, but also a tween girl. Can you imagine the adjustment of going from single male to step dad of a tween? No warm up period, just all in all at once. He welcomed Lexie and loved Lexie at the beginning of the most difficult period of a girl's life. (I know I typed "loved", but he still loves her.)

I love Monte so much. It seems like we get so busy that I don't get to show him how much I love and appreciate him. We take a few date nights, but not as many as we should. (Carter has never spent the night with anyone. We are in need of a romantic getaway.)

I LOVE YOU MONTE!!!

DOUBLE WHAMMY

Carter acted like he was getting a cold over the weekend. Slight fever, runny nose, and CRANKY. I figured it was either his teeth or a virus. (We usually get the "it's a virus" diagnosis.) He started digging in one of his ears, so I took him to the doctor. The poor little guy has an ear infection in BOTH ears!! Luckily the doctor said it was just starting, so we caught it very early. This is actually his third ear infection since November. Lexie never had ear infections, so to me this seems like a lot. I looked online to try to find out what the "normal" amount is, and I couldn't find it. All of the websites listed increased risk factors: second hand smoke, daycare, bottle instead of breastfeeding, and food allergies--none of those apply to Carter. The silver lining in this cloud is that Carter is extra cuddly right now.

WALKING ON SUNSHINE

I LOVE, LOVE Daylight Saving Time. I wish we could have it all year. I am not a fan of losing that hour of sleep, but the end result is definitely worth it. The weather the past few days has been wonderful! I have enjoyed getting outside.

Yesterday we went outside and blew bubbles. Carter loves watching them and chasing them. It was really windy yesterday, so the bubbles didn't hang around long. The grass is starting to turn green, so hopefully Carter will venture off the patio soon. (I think it's just the weeds, but I'll take what I can get.) Carter wasn't feeling well, so I let him wear his jammies all day. I don't know if he's getting a cold or if it's his teeth. The poor guy has 4 coming in all at the same time.

We went for a ride around the neighborhood. We made several laps around the neighborhood before I made a huge mistake. Right after I took this picture, I made the mistake of saying,"Carter, are we going for a walk?" He started trying to unbuckle his strap (Unsuccessfully) and climb out of the stroller. A "ride" is when I push him in the stroller. A "walk" is when he gets to walk. He was screaming mad, so we had to go home.

"Look mom. I found a stick."

Pictures from our "walk" a few days ago.

Lexie had a busy weekend, so I didn't get many pictures of her. Her dad, aunt, and little sister had birthday parties over the weekend, so she was gone most of the weekend. Next weekend is her talent competition, so I am sure I'll have plenty of pictures of her to post. Lexie's basketball league had their end of the season awards ceremony on Saturday. Lexie's team got the best sportsmanship award. (I know what your thinking, and no her team did not have the worst record in the league. Close, but not the worst.) She had a great time playing basketball, so that's all that really matters to us. She doesn't want to be in the WNBA, so fun is what we push for.





FUNNY PICTURES


Carter (like every man in the world) is IN LOVE with Taylor Swift. He was playing in his kitchen, and when she came on the tv (singing Love Story) he ran in there and just stared in awe at the tv.




"It's not a purse, it's a murse."
Carter loves to carry around bags. (Monte's not a fan.) I went in my closet and found a blue one for him to carry around. It's a little more manly since it's blue. I did just buy him a Mickey Mouse backpack, so hopefully he'll carry it instead.



These are supposed to go on the front of Carter's kitchen, but he and Lexie prefer to sword fight with them.

Carter Update

Carter loves to "read" and be read to. He will sit by the window with his book basket and look at the books forever.

Carter is understanding a lot. I'll say "let's go bye-bye", and he will drop everything and go to the door to the garage. As you can tell by this picture, we are going to have to start locking the door all of the time. He might decide he wants to go bye-bye all by himself.

Last week I was in the bathroom getting ready, and Carter was in there playing. He looked up at me, waved, said "bye-bye", and left the room. He is finally starting to say real words. He still babbles a lot, but every once in a while he will throw in a word I understand. Right now he can say: cat, mama, dada, that, uh that (what's that), cracker (minus the r sounds), ball, all done (minus the l and n sounds), bye-bye, hi, uh buh (oh boy- from Mickey Mouse). That's all I can think of right now. I'm sure I'll add more to the list later.

Carter is OBSESSED with Mickey Mouse. When he hears the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse theme song, he will drop everything and run into the living room. He dances along to the songs. I bought him a MM stuffed animal, and he carries it everywhere. We'll say, "Where's Mickey?" and he will go get him. I downloaded the MM Clubhouse soundtrack to my phone. I turned it on for him, and I didn't get my phone back for over an hour. Every time I would try to take it, he would put the death grip on it. There was no way I was getting it back without a fight. When I finally got it back, he had rated the theme song 5 stars and changed my screen saver to the soundtrack cover. He hated his new car seat. Lexie took him for a walk down the toy aisle at Wal-Mart. He picked up a Mickey Mouse book. Now he reads the MM book when he's in the car, and I don't hear a peep out of him. We are going to Disney World in a couple of weeks. I am sure when he actually sees Mickey, he will cry and hold tight to me. Isn't that the way it usually goes?

When we were at Gymboree last week I was watching Carter play, and I was remembering back to when we first started going (in Cali). He has gotten so big. He is not a baby anymore. He's a little boy. (And I mean ALL BOY--a very busy boy.) His favorite toys are balls, cars/trucks, and his kitchen. He has quite the arm when he throws the ball. When you hear him say "ball", you know there is one getting ready to fly by your head.

One of Carter's first trips to Gymboree. Don't you just love the mohawk?

Carter last week at Gymboree. (He got another haircut right after our playtime.)