Caroline's ears

Let me start off by saying that I'm sorry for the lack of pictures in this post. We have been so busy and haven't had much time for picture taking...I'm hoping to change that soon!

Caroline has been full of appointments this week with a 1 year check up yesterday and today she had her surgery follow up appointment with the ENT. Well, it didn't go as great as we had hoped for. Blake took her since I had to work and I had taken off early yesterday for her other appointment so I'm so sad that I wasn't there but here's how it went. Her left ear looks great but the right ear was another story. It was full of fluid again, which suprises me b/c her dr yesterday said it looked great. Anyway...they had to lay her on the table and put a few things in it to drain it. Blake said he had to hold her down and that she was not a happy camper. I can only imagine b/c she does not like anyone to touch her ears since she's had her surgery. She was supposed to do a hearing test today but they had to postpone that because of her ear. So she goes back in 2 weeks to see if the right ear looks better and to hopefully have her hearing test. She also got sent home with ear drops to use 5 times a day for 5 days. Oh, this is not going to be fun!!!

Hopefully our little peanut will be better soon! I'm going to start the transition to a sippy cup this weekend...we are hoping it goes well. Last night when I offered her the sippy cup she kept throwing it on the floor! Good times:)

Caroline's 12 month checkup

Caroline had her 12 month check up today! She is meeting all of her milestones and developing just fine! Her dr officially gave me the okay to switch her from formula to whole milk and from a bottle to a sippy cup. I've known that this day was coming and I've had very mixed emotions about it. First, I'm extrememly excited to know that we won't have to spend $60 a week on formula anymore or clean bottles everynight. But this also means that I officially don't have a baby anymore. This makes it more real that Caroline has crossed the line to a toddler!

She still is a little shrimp and weighed in today at 19lbs. She was almost 17lbs at her 9month check up so she's grown over the last few months! She's still only in the 21st percentile for weight.


(something funny about this pic...she loves to jerk her doll out of the stroller and she tries so hard to put herself in the stroller. I keep telling her that she's too big and that she needs to push her baby around but she refuses to listen!)
I'm excited to see Caroline grow and learn new words and sounds! She's been quite the chatter box lately and it just cracks Blake and I up all of the time! She's also shown that she's a little determined girl. She will stop at nothing to get what she wants...I think we are in for it when she gets older:)

Grandmama's helper!

Last night while we were at my parents house for dinner, Caroline decided she would help her grandma by pulling all of her bowls out of her cabinet. She had the best time doing it too and made a huge mess in the matter of a minute!!!



We had a good weekend and hated to see it go by so fast! I went up to Cleveland on Saturday to visit with my mom and dad and to get my car fixed and my hair done! The weather was a little rough with all of the ice but we had a great time together. The trees were all iced over and it looked like a winter wonderland up there! On Sunday, we tried a new church and really enjoyed it. It's very similar to the church we were going to but it's a lot smaller...which is what we were looking for. Everyone was very kind and helpful with us getting Caroline checked into her room for the first time. She ended up being the only kid in her class, which we loved b/c that meant she got a lot of one on one attention and didn't share germs with other kiddos! They said she slept for over 30 minutes so she must have felt comfortable enough to be able to do that. For those of you who don't know...Caroline does NOT sleep at all at daycare..maybe only 30 min or so during the day. At home she takes 2 naps that consist of 2-3 hours long. After church, we went back up to Cleveland for the day. We had a lot of fun playing, napping (mommy's favorite part!), and eating grandma's yummy food. But today it was back to the grind! I'm ready for this week to be over with and it just started! The week days just simply wear me out! I'm excited for this weekend though b/c on Friday we are meeting up with some friends that we used to volunteer with at Northpoint. They have two littles ones are are expecting twins this summer! And then on Saturday, I am meeting up with my mom and her sisters to celebrate Caroline's, my aunts, and my mom's birthday! I love getting with them and visiting...it's always a fun time and good food is usually involved:)

Have a great week!

Best Buddies!

On Sunday, we met up with our friends from our old small group and enjoyed visiting with them and getting to see how much their kiddos have grown. We started the small group as 5 married with no children couples and we ended the group with 3 couples having babies and 2 couples with babies on the way!!! Guess there was something in the water! The babies are 3-4 months apart!

Here's some pics of the kids playing together. (the little boy, Hayes, is secretly Caroline's boyfriend!)

Birthday party pics

Caroline's birthday party went well! The food was yummy (thanks mom!), decorations looked good, and Caroline had a blast being the center of attention. We only had family members over and she ended up being the only child so she got a lot of attention from everyone!!! It was a nice, relaxed and laid back party...which is good for her! She did lose it though when we let her eat her cake. I was putting on her birthday hat and the strap hit her chin and boy did she let me know that she was not happy. She was on the verge of needing a nap so she didn't let up with the crying. I had to finally just get her and take her upstairs to get her calmed down. I came back down with her after a few minutes and my mom was cutting the adult cake for everyone and Caroline grabbed the plate from my mom and dug in. So, my mom ended up sitting with her at the table and letting her dig into her own cake! Can we say that she is the PRINCESS around here!!! Here are some pics of our fun day celebrating our baby girl turning 1!

Happy Birthday Caroline!

Happy Birthday sweet girl! Your daddy and I are so proud and lucky to have you in our lives! One year ago today our lives changed forever. God blessed us with such a beautiful little girl and we can't wait to see what your future holds! We've had quite a first year trying to learn everything about parenthood. You were such an easy baby and such a great sleeper...and still are! You've really been a joy to be around and have never been a fussy baby! You love to go shopping and out to eat and you will just sit there and be as calm as can be! I know this may not last forever but I sure am enjoying it for now! You've always loved bath time and I swear you are going to be a swimmer like your daddy! Daddy can't wait to take you to the pool this summer. You are eating table food now and love it! Mommy does too b/c it makes things easier:) You are crawling but still aren't walking and I'm perfectly fine with that. I'm not ready for you to grow up too fast! The worst part about your first year is how sick you've been the past 6 months. You have had just about everything you can think of. Daddy and I are ready for spring to be here so you will have a break and get better!


We hope you have a great birthday!!! We can't wait to celebrate many many more with you. We love you!


All photos were taken by Farrah Nicole Photography.

Letter to Caroline

When we dedicated Caroline last September, we were asked to do some homework and part of that was to write letters for her. At her dedication we read the lettes to her and it was such a special day for us. In celebration of Caroline turning one, I wanted to post these letters on the blog. These letters represent what Caroline means to us. She is SUCH a special little girl to us our our lives and hearts have been changed forever!

WARNING...this is going to be a long post! Don't say I didn't warn you:)

Mommy's letter...

Dear Caroline,

First off, I am so lucky to be your mommy. Before you were born, I loved feeling your little kicks inside of my belly and I remember all of the anxiety of waiting for the day that I could meet you. It took us months to prepare for your arrival with getting everything ready and perfect for the day that we could bring you home. The first time I laid my eyes on you, I knew we would have a special bond for eternity!
I have treasured all of the moments that God has allowed us the past 8 months to spend quality time together. I love watching you grow and seeing you learn new things as you explore the world around you. I look forward to all of your “first” experiences that you will have...such as first birthday, first night away from home, first day of school, etc. You hold such a special place in my heart and words cannot express how much love I have for you. Your dad and I are going to do our best in teaching you about God and how important he is. God is always by your side through the good times and bad…all you need to do is put your faith and trust in him. Please know that the sky is the limit and that you can do anything that you set your heart to.
Today we are dedicating you to God and thanking him for letting us be your parents. God created you and has great plans for your life. I pray that you will desire to have a growing relationship with God as you get older. You are such a beautiful and sweet little girl and I am so excited to see what is in store for you. Please know that the love that mommy and daddy have for you will never end and we will always be by your side.

I love you!
Love,
Mommy


Daddy's letter...

Dearest Caroline:

Today your mommy and I will be dedicating you to the church. This is such a special occasion because while your mommy and I love you very much, God your heavenly creator loves you so much more. He made you so very special.
As your father, I want you to know what a joy it was to see you for the very first time. I remember those big brown eyes just staring at me, piercing me right to the heart. I remember I couldn’t stop crying because I was so overjoyed to see you. As you grow older and older each day both your mommy and I will be right there for your every need. I will always be there to be a shoulder for you to cry on when you need it. It is so hard to fathom you getting older. It seems like just yesterday we were carrying you home from the hospital, but I know these days are coming and I long to see what a beautiful woman in Christ you will become.
I can’t wait to see you blossom. Just the times I spend with you on Thursdays, I see the joy and happiness shining from you every time you smile at your daddy. If you bring me this much joy now, I can only imagine what happiness you will bring to others in your life down the road.
Sweet Caroline, there is so much I want to tell you but I know this letter must be short. If I can leave you with a little fatherly advice it would be to follow your dreams and your desires. There is nothing you can’t do! You have been created so beautifully in the eyes of the Lord. He has sculpted you in his image and has given you a world to use your talents. Seek his wisdom daily, and do not lean on your own understanding. As I look at you sleeping in your tiny crib I see a little girl who is determined to love, destined to be great, and the apple of her daddy’s eye. I look at you and see your mother….a determined little girl who will stop at nothing to care for the one she loves.

I love you Always!
Love,
Daddy

And she even got this awesome Bible with her name on it. I hope that she will keep this bible forever as it represents the day we dedicated her life to God.