Baby Take a Ride

On a big Green Tractor!

Sometimes a girl just needs to take a ride on a tractor.

p.s. I am so thankful for my sisters :) They are the greatest.

Uncle Bobby took these great pictures at my cousin's wedding in May. I came across them last night and just wanted to share because little C + tractor = adorable.

And I could use some adorable on this Monday morning. So happy monday morning for this momma comes courtesy of these pictures :)

Farm Girl

Caris' preferred mode of transportation the past few months is seen below.......

p.s. Also very thankful for such caring and generous parents.

But no longer, we have an independent walker these days!!!

Tired Monday apparently also = Random post.

Steamy and Showery

Also known as a Houston summer.

That was the weather forecast on the news this week. And It pretty much feels like we live in a sauna. An itchy sauna with giant mosquitoes. Seriously hate those things; they pretty much have banned us from our own back yard! But anyways,

It's a wonderful summer nonetheless!!

And we have had a great time introducing Caris to the joy of a summer day.

The kind where you spend the day in your bathing suit. Sometimes swimming. Sometimes sleeping.

Sticky from popsicles by the pool. With traces and scent of sunscreen and chlorine etched on the skin.

Soaking up the sun and simultaneously craving the coolness of a breeze, shade from a tree, and the cool water of a pool.

Confining self and little one to a movie afternoon with no feelings of guilt. Because really, 106 and humid is way to hot to be outside.

Where the meal selections consist of sandwhiches, grilling, and grapes. And goldfish :)

And you spend the day playing with friends and family. Come home late. And know it was a day well-spent.

Summer days are so much sweeter with a little one to experience the unique joy that only a summer day can provide.

summer love courtesy of Lindsey (who, yAY! will have a summer buddy for Caris next year!!) and Aunt Mary, friends with apartments, and Machita: thanks for the pool time :)

C = 15

My not-so-little C is 15 months today. What a big girl we have on our hands! I realized I've neglected a monthly update for quite some months. And my how much our Caris has changed since the last installment. Such a little toddler lady lately!

I want to capture so many of the things Caris is up to these days because this stage is quite fascinating. There is so much learning and emergence of personality. So much of Caris is being revealed to us. I find it almost indescribable to accurately portray.

Caris is busy these days. Busy learning. Busy talking. Busy moving. Busy playing. Busy discovering. So many activities and always looking for the next.

Lil' C continues to love music and has added a new instrument in recent months: her voice. Caris loves to try to sing-a-long to various songs. Seriously, full voiced 'LALAAAA' right on beat to her favorites, trying to match the singer. So fun to listen to. Her piano playing has progressed to what we deem to be 'Caris' recitals'; sitting on her stool, jamming out. Caris' dance moves are seriously hilarious. Girl likes to get 'jiggy wit it'; yup, 199o's Will Smith style. Her new moves include 'body rolls' in her car seat and once witnessed in slumber. Internal beat, I tell you.

Caris is a chatter box and has quite the emerging vocabulary. Although her words aren't quite integrated into daily speech, she repeats almost anything and independently uses appropriate word choices quite frequently. I think we are up to around 15-10 regular words. My current favorites include: 'Skool?' (used when leaving the house with a nap mat, upon arriving to her building, and on inquiry) 'Bas p Ball' (I promise. C uses this upon sightings of such. Remember it's her favorite clutch...) 'Aawwww nunn' (Alllll done. Picture this in sing-song voice. Utilizing her sign. So funny). Least favorites (but admittedly still pretty cute): 'NO Mommy' and I'm pretty sure there was a 'Mean Mommy' used once or twice. Caris' favorites: 'ME ME ME' 'Mine Mine' 'Milk? Milk?'. Girl knows what she wants.

Caris loves to be on the go and for the next adventure. I have always speculated such, as we have much happier days when outings are in place, but lately she lets such be known. When she gets wind of the fact that she is soon to be part of such outing, Caris gets so excited. She beams happily, waves, and excitedly says 'BYE!' to whoever is to be left behind (even if that who is the house). It's so cute to watch. I'll never forget her face when discovering she would be leaving with her Dad, without Mom, to go on an adventure. C looked right at me, her face so full of excitement and said 'BYE MOM'. It was priceless. And again, my descriptors aren't really doing justice, but I love it all the same.

The favorite outing for our summer time Houston girl is by far SWIMMING. Caris loves to swim and is getting the leg kicking and arm movements down. She likes to be tossed and tries to constantly put her face in the water. Caris loves to play in her little pool. It's a great thing. She loves to be outside and will go to the door and say 'Out? out?' if too much time is lapsed.

Current C favorite toys: Movie cases? so random, she doesn't really watch the movies, but loves tto carry around the cases. She cried when we tried to take them away. Crayons. Loves loves loves them. She will take them in and out and loves to try to color. Threader watermelon. basically an object with a string/threader attached. Caris will spend great lengths threading this thing. And she pushes her little shopping cart around like a crazy woman, goes around the house, and loads up all these favorite things and carts them around wherever she goes.

Oh, books. A great love of Miss Caris. She seeks them out constantly and loves to sit by herself and turn through the pages. She takes them seriously. It truly looks like the child is reading the books the way she studies each page.

My favorite part about this stage is the learning. I love watching Caris assimilate knowledge and use appropriately. She follows our commands and responds to our questions correctly. It is so fascinating to watch.

I've loved the past 15 months more than I thought possible. Thanks for blessing my day, every day, for all of them sweet lil C!

Kryptonite

In the case my last post misconstrued my mothering skills, I'd like to go ahead and take the analogy a little too far and yes, reveal my kryptonite.

As in, some really great parenting moments I've had in the past 14 months....

- Managed to send a mobile lil' C to school sans shoes. Nice.
- Got mid-dirty-diaper-change only to realize I had NO wipes. This happens more often than it really should. Same applies to no diaper, mid-bath and no towel. Really my level of preparedness is stellar.
- Allowed my child to eat mud. Really, I fine with a little dirt snack. But then I asked her dad....and he was all, "what? LET her eat mud?" and then she eats a HUGE handful of mud.
- Sent C to her FIRST school picture day with a VERY stained white shirt. Sweet. Pretty sure remembering picture days is just downhill from here...if I can't even get the first one right. And she doesn't even require a hair-do yet! Oh man. In trouble here. (Mind you, I did drive home and get a change of clothes....I may be forgetful, but I guess also a tad proud :)
- Mis-matched socks are a regular occurance.
- I've over-reacted numerous occasions. And over-analyzed way too many behaviors.
- Our house stays on boderline disaster level between dishes and laundry and toys....
- And all that super-human strength, I realized really just makes me the BAG LADY
- Forgetten to re-plenish the diaper/clothes stash at school. C has arrived home with comeone elses initialed diapey and school clothes on numerous occasion....Also poor thing was without a nap-mat a time or too. I really need to remember better...Wow.
- Left some milk-soiled clothes un-cleaned for a little too long....You do not want to know what happened.
- Lost some grape snacks in the car and left for a little too long.....Also, you really do NOT want to know what happened.
- I can't tell you how many things I've misplaced,bows I've lost, socks gone astry, clothes I've forgotten, emails I haven't replied to, pictures I haven't taken, friends I haven't seen......wow, that list could really get long.

So ya, those super-skills don't run the gammett. And luckily, my parenting mantra does not include perfection (this may just be from necessity, but whatever, I still believe it :) Because this mom sure has a lot of 'needs improvements' in her checklist.

Just thought I should clear that up :)

Mom SkillZ

Over the past year donning my new title as 'Mom', I have noticed a sudden acquistion of new talents. Quite amazing, really, the skills you seem to magically amass simply by entering into this new realm of motherhood. I am not alone in these magic talents; all those belonging to this sisterhood of motherdom seem to possess these tools. A few I've noted thus far.....(I'm thinking the teen years are a different sort of mothering magic)


1) Supersonic hearing. Othwerise known as 'Mommy Ears'. Able to recognize her baby's distinct cry upon only hearing it for a few minutes; able to spot the cry immediately down the hall returning from the nursery. The same ears are so in tune to this cry that they awaken their owner from a deep slumber at the slightest sound of such. We have not had a working baby monitor and still, my mommy-supersonic-hearing capabilities have consistently summoned it's quiter without fail. No matter the time...

I think Dad's have this skill too. But theirs is the opposite. How they can sleep through some things, I will never know....


2) The magic touch. Moms have it. It's like it comes with the baby. In all honesty, I was worried how I would be with a crying baby; my previous enounters with little ones usually end up with us both crying. But apparently, when you are the mommy, you are magic. Able to soothe crying with a single touch. Quiet fears with a simple hug. And soothe frustrations with a hand hold. My mom is still the ultimate baby whisper. Magic, I tell you.


3) Translation specialist. Don't believe me? Well, who else can translate 'Ba, Ma, Boo, Plamma, Bab, Asp, Bub Ath' to 'Oh, you would like a bottle of milk with your evening read followed by a bubble bath?' Coming right up!


4) Entertainer Extraordinaire. Like, Britney Spears sold out concerts circa 1999 has NOTHING on a mom entertaining her little one. Recent feats include: Entertaining a 14 month old while attempting to shower/get ready for work/complete morning chores when said little one decides to wake up an hour early on the day mom decides to sleep an hour late. Including time IN the shower. Magically tasforming seemingly boring household items into a toy to rival all others: we've played with a box of goldfish packages, tupperware, makeup bags, and my personal favorite a box of feminine products (Like a giant box of crayons to take in and out). Blowing up a baby pool covered in mosquitoes lying in the grass while somehow managing to get enough water in at the same time to allow your daughter to play while doing so. And a toddler on an airplane?

5) Super-human Strength. Seriously. Who would have ever thought these scrawny arms could carry a 25 lb SQUIRMY TALL girl, a perhaps equally weighted diaper bag, lunch bag, makeup bag, pump, swim bag, grocery bag, keys, and toy.


6) Cat-like reflexes. I think this probably speaks for itself. Toddlers fall. A LOT. And the knock things over. A LOT. And somehow, they are caught. (most of the time....)


7) Juggler. Of items. Of dishes. Of daily chores. Of baby while multi-tasking chores. Of the titles of mom/wife/employee/counselor/chef/maid/sister/friend/in-law/daughter/traveler/(insert countless others) . and sometimes toys too.


So you know all those times when you pretended to be a super-hero as a little girl? Who knew you were just pretending to be your mom?


Much love to all my Super-Mom friends, mothers, grandmothers, and soon to be mothers!

This Little Piggy

This little piggy went to gym class....

This little piggy went swimmy swimmy swimmy.....
And this little piggy had a crazy Friday play day at school!

These little piggies were Red White and Blue....

And this little piggy cutie shrugged and birthday partied, all the day long....

Piggies are clearly our go-to hair-do for the hot summer days for my long haired little girl. Seriously, what else can you do to little girl hair? And I think there is not much cuter than some piggies on a little girlie :)

Piggy Subtext:

1) Gym class in Frisco! Coach Shelby,Auntie TJ, and Machita took me during my first overnight stay from mommy :) Rumor has it Caris loved the class and although the youngest, did great in the pit and LOVED the trampoline!

2) Lots of summer swimming trips to Aunt Mary's and Uncle Everrett's. Bonus: They are actual professional photographers and videographers (we have a great underwater video! hopefully can post soon...)

3) Oh man. These piggies were crazy! Caris' teachers had fun on a Friday. Caris has moved up to the big mover class and has done great. Although she is having a minor personal space issues....there are lots of bigger boys! I hear two of which have schoolboy crushes on C....

4) We had a great Fourth of July celebration with the Blundell's!! Uncle Jordan and Aunt Natalie hosted. Jordan made some AWESOME (seriously) ribs and chicken, the best I've ever had (seriously). Aunt Alli made a great Apple Pie that C went crazy for! she also loved all the puppies and her new baby friend. We celebrated Grammy Jane and sent her off on a mission trip to China (love and prayers!) Good fun, family, and fun on the fourth.

5) Caris had a blast at a birthday party at Gymboree. She was all over the place and practiced her new walking skills. And freely gave out lots of cutie shrugs....Our friend Laith took some great pics that day!

Security!

Caris had yet to develop a security object; you know a beloved blanket, lovie, toy, etc that functions to comfort the little one. Instead, Caris has typically utilized the one holding her/rocking to sleep to provide this function. Which is fine, but one of the functions she needs for comfort is to latch on to something. And this translated into death grip on mom's neck and arms and anything else she can get hold of. So I have been on a mission to find an object to substitute for my poor body. We've tried lovies, blankies, toys, yet Caris would never take hold.

Enter little basketball. Which is really not a toy. Rather some kind of lip balm I think Garrett got in his stocking one year? Caris discovered this and quickly has become her clutch. And the only thing I have ever succesfully utilized to occupy her grip when bedtime approaches.

And now she sleeps with this little security object and totes it around.

Caris also has a high level of fondness for socks. If she finds any socks nearby, she clutches them tightly and will not let go. This little habit developed when she was quite tiny and she always removed her socks from her feet and put them in her mouth. To stay. She loves to hold socks, carry them around, and still loves to chew on them. And now she is trying to put them on her feet. So random. But a true source of joy for the girl.

So mini basketball, socks, and a book. And she's all good.

- can you see her socks in her hands? this is how she chases me down in the mornings...pushing her books, with her socks.

Greys anatomy

Caris rocking the pink scrubs and crocs. Ready for the OR. And studying her baby version of Grey's Anatomy. Or more accurately, begging me to read. (one of her current favorite books: Eyes, Ears, and Nose. close enough to ENT, right?) Caris loves to study with her Dad. One of my favorite memories from about this time last year was our teeny infant next to her Dad on late night shift. Garrett was studying for finals and usually up until 2:00 a.m. so he would take the late shift while I tried to get a few hours of sleep. Such a sweet memory of the little study buddies.

Girly Girls

My favorite girl :)

My little C is showing her girly side. It is seriously so funny to watch a little mini-woman spontaneously show behaviors and preferences so attributable to the fairer gender. Since Caris loves to play/eat all dirt, leaves, and mud and prefers the outdoors and food for activity, I wasn't sure if she would be 'girly' or 'tomboy'. We may have a little of both.

So girly...

But really, right now, she is in love with all things fancy and GIRL. And I did not intervene with the preference for fancy. Seemingly intrinsic...

As mentioned previously, but really due to the depth of her obsession, well worth a repea, Caris loves purses. Any item she can wear on her shoulder quickly becomes a purse. Her favorite 'purse' is mommy's make-up bag. At a then un-knowing time, I started applying my make-up within reach of Caris. She quickly made her way to my bag and began to use all my make-up brushes. Opening the blush, putting the brush in, and trying to apply it to her cheeks; the same scenario for her eyes (I mean, eye makeup is the key, right ladies?). I seriously got such a kick out of it.

She shows affinity for all things beautiful. She was enamored with the bride and bridesmaids at my cousin's wedding. Loves all jewelry (especially Grammy's and Auntie Tara's, theirs are the biggest and shiniest!). And loves sparkly things. and Sunglasses; oh so fun.

Caris loves to feel pretty. As all girls do :) She loves her pretty dresses and fancy attire. She lit up when I showed her her ultra-fancy birthday dress and giggles and smiles like crazy when she sees herself in the favorited attire. She loves her little bows; although this leads to constantly taking them out to look at and then instructing mommy to replace. so they don't last in place too long...

Caris is a flirt. She giggles at her Dad and knows that her Cutie Shrug gets the attention she craves. She smiles at waiters and busboys and never fails to charm.

She loves her phone. When she sees it, she picks it up, pla

ces it to her ear and says what can pass as 'Hello'. Too much

Oh, girl. I am somewhat unprepared for this girli-ness....

Last weekend, we had a GIRLS weekend. A best friend came in town with her little girl who is three months older than Caris. (G was away with boys at a bachelor party) so it was all Girls all weekend! Slumber parties, pools, ice cream, lunches, staying up t

oo late, zoo, children's museum, and mexican food were all in store. All components of a great GIRLS weekend. We were met in town by our other two roommates, which made for quite the girl reunion (two years in the making...) Such a needed time with best girl friends. I was reminded the importance of having friends to just be GIRLS with.

We loved introducing Caris to her likely bestie/college rommate/co-resident sweet Adelyn. Adleyn loved showing Caris her favorite girly item, bracelets! Between declaring dominance over the chairs, the two spent their time figuring out what items could be converted to become a bracelet....Girls will be girls I guess!

And I guess that means nothing but trouble?!?!

We'll take our chances.

Because right now, we are loving embracing all things girl. Cheetah shoes included....

A Nose Knows

What a Knows nose. What a nose knows is nose. (is that how that goes???)

In the past few weeks, Caris' development can be summarized by the fact that now, she KNOWS.

It's like all the sudden, all the little things she has been acquiring and storing in her little brain have just clicked and become working knowledge. I've seen little glimpses the past few months; such as asking her to drink her milk and she in turn does just that.

But lately, it downright surprises me to see her response to my inquiries as so appropriate.

Check out our little video to see a sampling of what I mean.....

Things I had no idea she even knew; like how to put on a purse or what sunglasses are. Which by the way, if I were to have to chose a favorite Caris activity this week, it would be purses. Anything item she can put over her shoulder that resembles a bag, she does with great gusto. That and putting crayons in a box....

It's just astounding to me to watch the learning process develop. Putting knowledge to use without direct intervention.

She does so many things on command right now; you may have noticed that demonstrated in the last video when asked to do her 'cutie shrug' :) Which incidently is my ultimate favorite Caris move right now. She developed this little habit on the plane of coyly shrugging and smiling at all the passengers; we subsequently dubbed it the cutie shrug. And now she LOVES a cutie shrug.

And when Garrett and I randomly asked Caris where her ear was the other day, wouldn't you know, she pointed right to it. On repeated requests.

And she Knows her Nose.