Official 1st Birthday pictures

Last week we took Caroline to have her official 1st birthday pictures taken. We just can't say enough about what a great job they do at Portrait Innovations. I was so excited when I found a location about an hour away from our new home. Yeah!!! They always give me a CD with all of the shots taken. Below are just some of my favorites.

We always bring three or four outfits. This was her "southern belle" picture.

I never plan to be in the pictures, but at this age, sometimes the only way to calm the babies down it to sit down with them and hope for smiles.

Oh, but I LOVE this outfit. Her shirt reminds me of one from those 60's beach movies. And finally, she relaxed and starting playing for the camera.

Her first dance with a giant teddy bear.

Cake time! I made her a little birthday cake just for pictures. She grabbed the "1" candle and dug into the icing. So cute in her ballerina bathing suit.
This is hard work mommy!

We are getting ready to take a family trip to New Orleans for a very special weekend. So, of course, they have to dressed for the occasion. I found these matching brother-sister smocked crawfish outfits that are just perfect.

Will was not exactly happy about taking a picture. Caroline was just looking at him like he was crazy. She seems to be saying, "what is wrong with you?"

Here we go, mommy in another picture. I love the place where we take them, because they take a lot of candid shots. Will was in a "hold me" mood and Caroline just made the photographers crack up laughing at her expressions while in my lap.

Ahhh, they we go. There's my smiling little guy.

We'll go back in a couple of months for Will's 2 year old pictures. I'm sure I'll throw Caroline in one of those shots, too. If she'll let me.

Mother's Day 2009

Ever since the death of my mom back in 2005, this day has made me heart a little tender. This year was no different, especially when I look at my little Caroline. I see her and then leap back to when I was younger during my teen years with mom. I was no angel. Enough said. And then, the years in my 20's and how she and I became friends. I look at my children, and I remember her. I see my mother and grandmother in my mothering and swell with pride. Sometimes, being a motherless, mother is a lonely journey, but I just do the very best I can and rely on their wisdom over the years and then I know, that Caroline and Will are going to be just fine. No one is perfect, but my grandmother and mother did a great job. Mom always wished I would get payback when I had children, well...quite often, I am certain that a little laughter can be heard from heaven when Caroline or Will drive me crazy. So, today, I honor their memory and thank God for my beautiful children and the joy they bring.

The day began with a great breakfast at a local restaurant and surprises from the children and Mike. I was given one of those musical cards. Caroline absolutely loved it. She is my little dancer. Below is a video of her opening and closing the card and dancing to the song, "Some kind of wonderful." It's soooo funny, because her face looks so serious while she bops along. I love it. Make sure your volume is on!

After lunch, Will gave me an unexpected present. When I went into the nursery to get them up from nap, he was on top of his crib rail with one foot reaching into a nearby drawer. Oh, my word! We were not ready for that. So, Mike got busy securing furniture to the wall and turning his crib into a toddler daybed. We've entered a whole new world! He thinks he now has the freedom to roam around the nursery, empty all of the clothing drawers, aggravate his sister and steal her pacifiers, only to throw them across the room. He's even working on climbing into Caroline's crib. What fun!


Later in the afternoon, we attended a Mother's Day cookout with a local family.


Caroline was quick to steal a look at a police car that Will was playing with. Thankfully, it didn't belong to us and we left it there...it was complete with lights and sirens!


It was a beautiful day, so Mike and I played in the yard with the kids.
Will loves being in constant motion.

Caroline was still unsure about the grass.

Oh, if only they would sit still for one picture together.

His new favorite thing to do, fill the bushes with rocks!

Loving my angel!

All in the same day, we found a bird nest built very low to the ground. We only took a peek, no touching. It was sweet to see on Mother's Day.

The momma bird was watching close by.

Almost bed time. "Can't we PLEASE go outside one more time!"

Happy 1st Birthday Caroline

Where has the year gone? Has momma's always say, our children's time as babies flies by. And so goes Caroline's 1st year. My youngest, and last child, our baby girl, Caroline Golden turned 1 on the 14th of May. We celebrated with presents, a wonderful visit with grandparents and of course, Cake! My father and his lovely wife, Cheryl drove all the way up from Louisiana.

Our sweet Caroline the day she was born.

I had no idea what I was in for with two babies 10 months apart. This picture makes me laugh compared to the pictures of them together now.

Our Birthday Girl!!!

"Seriously, do we have to keep doing this, I just want to play!"

A present from Grandma and Grandpa in Atlanta.

Will loved playing on the slide they sent.

And there is the official "momma look" for Will, formerly known as my "teacher look". You know, the "you better behave yourself!" look that all mommy's can give.

Will had fun playing with everything that was opened up.

More presents! Caroline kept our little post office busy this week.

"I really don't want to wear this hat mommy!" Ahhh, the things we do to our kids for the sake of pictures.

Getting ready for cake!

I made Caroline a giant pink gerber daisy birthday cake. She just wants to eat it! And so does Will!

Here we all are! Everyone tells us with kids this close in age that we are going to be miserable until they are both 3 years old. Well, Mike and I have survived the 1st year. How many more to go?

Caroline cleaned her plate.

And then, she had a fit, when she couldn't have more.

And, Will put all of his ice cream in his mouth at one time, he then realized it was way too cold and uncomfortable, so I let him spit it out.

Playtime

Heeelllloooooo! (That's me yelling across a cornfield!) Anyhoo, another fun week of watching them develop. I finally joined Facebook this week. It is amazing and wonderful to see people coming out of the woodwork. It's like a flashback of my life. I have connected with people from my childhood, college, First Baptist Atl, and people I have taught with. Amazing! I have even found people that I thought I would never see again after Hurricane Katrina. Up here in Illinois, it's been a little lonely. It's been so great to reconnect with people I have loved and missed. So, for everyone who's been bugging me, we are now on Facebook. No fanfare or applause, please. Tee hee hee.

I am going to upload short videos more often at the request of grandparents. So this post has 2. One video here and one at the end.

This is video of the kids swinging together for the 1st time. We got Caroline a matching swing and Mike put them up earlier in the day. They loved it. Make sure your volume is on.

So funny, it was nap time and Will was trying to pick up Caroline. She screamed and had the look of "Don't touch me!" Love it! So much drama, they get it honestly.

Caroline is proving more and more that she's not a baby anymore. Now she has a regular snack, just like her big brother. They both eat snack and watch the Backyardigans. Except, they steal snack from each other!

Caroline has passed this box for a week and every time, she stops to look at it and try to get into it. It's a little shopping cart for her birthday that I need to put together. She's just asking, "mommy, please let me have it now!" She knows it's something for her.

" I just can't wait to have it!"

This is video of the kids playing in the front yard. Caroline still hates the grass and Will loves to run everywhere. Her expressions are so funny!

Adjusting to Ilinois

Mike, the children and I are finally getting settled in. Last week, I took the kids outside to play in the grass. This was Caroline's first experience with grass, so I was camera ready. Caroline is so prissy. She was not sure about the grass. She was so funny. For about 15 - 20 minutes, she would NOT move and kept her hands up in the air. She didn't want to touch it. Normally Caroline crawls with lightening speed all over the place, but she was not budging in the grass. Meanwhile, her brother Will, was quite happy running around and playing in the rocks. The pictures below really say it all. Even though she wouldn't move, she certainly looked beautiful with her pink bow in the green, green grass.

Looking very concerned about the stuff she was sitting in.

Finally, an attempt at touching the grass.

Ahhh, not so bad, still not moving!

Will agreed to sit for about 2 seconds.

Very curious about the strange tree in the front yard.

Oh, goodness, a little boy's heaven. So many rocks to choose from! Mommy's rules, no throwing at your sister and they have to stay outside. Other than that, have a ball, my sweet Will!

In the playroom in their red truck. Certainly headed somewhere.

Bath time! Their favorite time of day. They both just love the big deep tub. We have the hardest time keeping Caroline seated. She wants to stand up all the time. It takes both Mike and I to wash Will and keep a hand on her. Look at Will's face, he's so animated! Every bath time, I come out of it completely soaked. They both splash like crazy.

Mike and I took the babies for a walk around town. Here are some pictures of our little "village" as they call it. This is Main Street.

The old, still used, coliseum.

Our tiny post office. I walk here a few times a week for our mail. It's a little strange not having a normal mailbox at our house.

The water tower. Notice the boy and girl holding hands.

One of the grainery train stops. Several trains go through here everyday, and night, just one block from our house. Everytime, Will hollers and points in that direction. He's facinated by them. But aren't all little boys. Oh, there goes one now. Toot toot!

Another view of Main Street. Only 3 businesses left, 2 bars and the post office.

Okay, I tried this for the 1st time, it's a short video of Will doing the Nestea plunge on a blow up mattress in the playroom during the first days. Hope it works .