15 Months and a Visit With Granddaddy

Lillian went for her 15 month check-up last week and our BIG girl is doing great! She is 24 pounds which puts her in the 75th percentile for weight and 33 inches tall which puts her off the chart for height. She has finally started to say "daddy" again which makes Brad extremely happy and over the past month has added the word "stop" to her vocabulary. Only my child would have less than five words total, but have that be one of them. She even knows the correct way to use it and manages to say it with the same frustrated tone that I use when I say it to her. The other night while I was trying to put on her pjs (for some reason, this can be very stressful) she looked me square in the eyes and said, "Stop Momma!". If we have this at 15 months old, I cannot imagine what we will be getting at 15 years old! :)
We went this week for Lillian's first haircut because I thought it was starting to take on a mullet shape. I decided to just spend a little more and take her to a children's "salon" that would know what to do with her hair and have lots of distractions to entertain her. All I can say is that she hated every minute of it and when they asked me if I wanted them to take a picture to commemorate the experience (apparently this is part of the "baby's first haircut" package), I wasted no time telling them it wouldn't be necessary. I will say that the cut looks pretty cute though!
Also last week, we went down to Pensacola to visit my dad. This was our first time to go that Lillian was old enough to go to the beach and actually play in the sand. She definitely enjoyed sitting on a towel and playing with the toys, but was not at all a fan of walking on the sand or having the sand get on her. Unfortunately, it was still pretty cool and windy so she didn't get to experience the full effect of a great day at the beach - guess that means we'll have to go back soon!

Happy Easter!

As a Christian, nothing could mean more than this day! Now as a mother, nothing could be more fun than celebrating this special day! Since Lillian was only 3 months old last year, we consider this her first real Easter and I think it's safe to say she loved every minute of it. She started her day by coming into the den and seeing that the Easter bunny had made a stop at our house and left her some great toys. Then, we went to Mimi and Pop's lake house where Lillian got to play with all of her cousins and participate in her first Easter egg hunt. I don't think I have ever seen a child as happy as she was to be running around all day with the "big kids" and they were all so sweet to include her. She was so exhausted that she slept - and SNORED - the entire way back to Birmingham. What an amazing day!

The Easter bunny left Lillian some fun toys...

Not sure she knew what to make of it at first...

Mom and Lillian...

Lillian with daddy and uncle Chris...

Lillian and her cousins (we had changed into some egg-hunting clothes :))...

She wasted no time at all starting the hunt...

She actually found lots of eggs - to our surprise!...

A snack after all that fun. (Notice she is double-dipping into crunchers and yogurt melts)...

2 Years!

It was only two years ago that Brad and I were here, in Highlands, NC, for our wedding!

REALLY... just two years ago! :) I never could have imagined at that time that we would spend our 1st anniversary together celebrating the recent birth of our first child and our 2nd anniversary anxiously awaiting the arrival of our second child .

I am overwhelmed with emotion when I think about how far we've come as individuals, but mainly as a couple since that amazing day two years ago! My life is more full than I ever could have imagined and I want to thank my wonderful husband for that. Happy Anniversary Brad!

Oh BOY!!!

We found out on Friday that we are having a little boy and ecstatic sums up how we are feeling! While I wouldn't trade my little girl for anything, I have always wanted a little boy. I think it goes without saying that Brad also couldn't be happier to be getting a son to do all of the "boy things" with. Luckily, Lillian and especially poor Emily have no idea what they're in store for. :)

We have decided on the name William Richard, but are going to call him Will. It's a name that truly means so much to Brad and I as it was his dad's full name. Also, Richard is Brad's first name and my dad's name so we are honoring my most favorite men!

Who's getting a baby brother?!?

We tried to take some pre-church pictures but Lillian was having no part of being still and posing.

This was Brad's attempt at a good shot...

I think we know who is the better photographer - just saying! :)

A Little Behind!

I feel a little bad that Lillian's 12 month update isn't coming until she's almost 14 months. I have some real concerns that when the second baby arrives, I will only find time to update the blog once or twice a year - ha!
Lillian has become such a big girl and can do SO much. She is walking now, but that didn't start until 13 months. Actually, she has been standing and taking independent steps since she was 11 months, but ever my child, she wasn't going to do anything without careful consideration so it took another 2 months to really start walking. She has a mouthful of teeth (seriously, she has 13 teeth!), but doesn't put them to proper use as she is a crazy, picky eater! She is a self-imposed vegetarian - NO meat at all- which Brad and I think is absurd! She eats no other vegetables than peas and carrots (it has to be the combination - no carrots by themselves) and the only fruit she will eat is peaches. Let's just say that it has been a little stressful at our house around mealtime, but I am getting used to my little girl's food "quirks" and making the best out of it.
She still isn't saying many words, but "talks" constantly (wonder where she gets it?). Currently, she only says "momma", "daddy" and "I see". It's funny because all day she is pointing to one thing after another and saying "I see", but doesn't follow it with anything. Maybe that will come when we've mastered some more words. :)
Her very favorite things in the world right now are books and I mean the kid is crazy about them! We spend most days with her bringing me one of her 3-4 favorites (which I have completely memorized), crawling into my lap and having me read and re-read them to her. I like to tell myself that this means she will be a very intellectual child, but that may just be what I tell myself so that I don't get frustrated by having to read these books all day. She also still really likes the baby doll she got for Christmas and the Little People farm set that has lots of animals that make sounds.
She weighed 22 pounds at 12 months, but that was 2 days after having a nasty stomach bug so I think she actually weighs more. She is 31 1/2 inches tall so is still super tall and has lots of hair that has a reddish tint - no idea where that is coming from!
She is a VERY social child and loves other children! She is however, also a very strong-willed child and super sassy (yes, at only one!) but from the stories I've heard about myself as a child, I had nothing less coming my way. :)
The pictures are from her 12 month photo session at our house with our friend, Graham. She did our wedding pictures and the ones of our family when Lillian was 6 months old. She is simply an amazing photographer and person and I am so glad she is willing to do these for us!

Baby Makes Four!

Yep, the Carters are adding a fourth (and FINAL :)) member to our family! I think because I was so shocked that I was pregnant so early into our marriage, I didn't get to experience as much excitement the first time around. This time however, we were planning and ready for it so thrilled would definitely explain what Brad and I are feeling! I must admit that we are also extremely nervous this time as well, because we actually realize how much work it really is. The fact that our little ones will only be 19 months apart contributes to this fear as well! :)
As someone who grew up with no siblings, their closeness in age is also something I view as a huge blessing! I always desperately wanted a brother or sister and cannot wait to watch the relationship of my children grow through the years. I know that I have said this before, but it's just amazing to watch how much better God's plan for our lives is versus our own! I say this because anyone that knows me would admit that being a stay-home-mom of 2 children under two would NEVER have been my plan. It makes me more than a little emotional (yes, it could be the hormones) to think what joy I could have missed if I were in control of my life.
I realize that these few years of starting our family is just a short season in the big picture, but I pray I'm able to remember it is also the most important!
***New Post Below***

Brad's First Post!

Out of nowhere, Brad told me that the other night that he wanted to start doing an annual post on the blog. I said, "great" and thought no more about it. Tonight however, he told me that it was done if I wanted to proof-read it. I think it is wonderful and I hope you enjoy it as well!...

Time Flies!!!!!!!
Who would have ever thought that time could really fly by when you have an infant? Heidi recently shared with me a little piece of wisdom she picked up from a friend, “the days are long but the time flies by”. That would hold true in our case as well. I will never forget the experiences that we have been blessed with over the last year. From the look on Heidi’s face after she discovered that we were expecting to the day that Lillian refused to enjoy birthday cake. There were times that Heidi and I would have to sing “Old McDonald Had a Farm” for 30 minutes straight to keep Lillian content as we drove from Alex City or the long trip to Pensacola. You should have heard some of the things that Old McDonald had on his farm. Just like our pets, Lillian has acquired variations on her name as well as nicknames (my favorite is Squirt). She has some of the funniest quirks that only a parent can appreciate such as shaking her head while you try to feed her, crazy sleeping positions, her mother’s laugh and the ability to hide pacifiers. She has been able to scare the living daylights out of both her parents with some of the stunts she performs. There were many text messages and phone calls to friends and relatives with a slight panic in our voices asking “what do we do”? I remember thinking several times that Lillian would be lucky to survive us much less any ailments. A big THANK YOU to all our family for reassuring us that we would be fine and make great parents.
Everyone said that your life would change when you have children but I had no idea how much better it would be. Sure, there are times when you consider that you might"accidentally" get lost going to the grocery store and not return for several days. But those times are far outweighed by the joy you receive from the look on Lillian’s face when I walk in the door from work. I could never relate to the happiness talked about until seeing her crawl for the first time and to see the excitement on Heidi’s face as well. There isn’t anything that can prepare you for the joy I felt when I heard Lillian laugh for the first time. You have to believe that something this special can only be created by God. As our family has grown so has our relationship with God and our commitment to make him the center of our lives.
I wouldn’t have guessed that I would be where I am just a few years ago. Heidi will argue that it took some serious convincing on her part but I have to argue that it was my plan all along. Although we don’t know what lies ahead, we can rest assure that the days may be long but the time will fly.