There is a new man in town…

I went and saw Carter at the hospital on Friday for a little bit. I got to love on him and hog him a bit, but then the nurse had to take him for his hearing test. He has already changed so much in just a short day! Friday night Omi and Pop-Pop watched Maddie so Gabe and I could go down to the hospital again. They were happy to do it and Maddie just loves to spend time with them! It was the first time that Gabe got to meet Carter and he was so excited to meet his nephew! I told Gabe that he could not get any ideas, because no more babies for a while for us! HAHA!

Today we spent the morning hanging out with Maddie and getting some things done around the house. We then ran some errands and went by Natalie and Ryan’s house to see them after they got home from the hospital. We brought by Maddie’s swing for Carter to use. Hopefully he will like the swing, because Maddie rarely ever used it. They are all so happy to be home and get into some kind of routine with their new little guy! Natalie and Ryan are already such amazing parents. I am over-filled with happiness as I watch them discover parenthood.

Little man getting his hearing test

Uncle Gabe was so excited to meet baby Carter

Look we all match!

Gabe being his goofy self

Maddie meeting Carter for the first time!

She was not too interested at first…

I think she was too excited to see Aunt Natalie

The Downing girls both have kids now!

Maddie giving Carter a kiss for the first time

Pop-Pop and his great grand son!

Pop-Pop and Omi with both of their great-grand children

Maddie loves her cousin, Carter so much already!

Welcome Carter Steven Cole

My completely gorgeous, amazing, and sweet nephew made his grand entrance into the world on March 24th at 3:11 pm. He weighed 8 lbs 7 oz (I guessed exactly right) and is 19 3/4 inches long. To me he looks a lot like Natalie, but everyone else says that he looks like Ryan. Either way, he is absolutely precious in every single way. He has the chunkiest little cheeks and already has rolls on his arms. I love a chunky, healthy baby! I love Carter to pieces already. I can’t wait for Maddie to meet him, but unfortunately not for a little while because she has yet another cold. I can’t believe he is here. It is surreal to me that my sister is a mom. She kept telling me after I had Maddie “I can’t believe you are a mom” and now I am saying the same thing to her. Seriously it is CRAZY!

Last picture before MY sister becomes a MOM!

anxiously awaiting to hear a baby’s cry

We eventually got kicked out of the hallway and had to wait in the waiting room (the nerve of them!) haha

After 11 hours of labor Carter is HERE!

I am an AUNT!

The new little family

New Skill

Maddie has found her nose holes! Once she discovered them she dug right in! She then proceeded to spit her paci out and put her finger in her mouth. I didn’t capture that moment on camera, though. Geez, she is such a mess!

What a difference a year makes…

 

Our baby is getting big too fast.  Sometimes I wish time would stop just for a little while.  Although it goes by too quick, it is fun to watch Maddie change each and every day and to see what she is going to do next!

Potty Time!

Look at this big girl on the potty! We have started to get her used to sitting on the potty recently. Omi bought her a potty seat and have encouraged us to start potty training Maddie. I was a little skeptical at first because she is still so young, but I must say it seems to be working! I try and sit her on the potty when she gets up from a nap and her diaper is still dry. I sit her on it and she just laughs and laughs! I sing a little song, turn on some water, and hope for the best! She has gone three times on her own so far. It is just a start, but a good start! Diapers are expensive and the sooner we are out of them, the better!

Welcome Houston Olin Reeves!

One of my dearest friends, Jessica was blessed with her precious little boy a few weeks ago. Houston was born on February 19th weighing 8 lbs 7 oz and 20 inches long. What a sweet little miracle he is! Houston is Jessica’s granddad’s name and Olin is her Granny’s maiden name. What a great way to honor her truly special grandparents! I was able to go and see him in the hospital two days after he was born. I immediately cried when I saw him for two reasons-- I was so happy for Jessica and her husband and I thought back just a year ago when I was in the hospital holding Maddie. I have been able to see him two times since he was born. Maddie is very fascinated with him. The first time she saw him I think it startled her that he was actually “real” and not one of her babydolls. Having Houston here makes me so ready to meet my nephew, Carter. Come on Carter, hurry up! We are so ready to meet you, too! Natalie just has two more weeks until her due date, but we are hoping that he will be here SOON!

Our First Baby

Just a quick little shout-out to Brady, the best hound dog there is. I feel so bad sometimes because he has been neglected over this past year. He is such a good boy, though, and has come around. He lets Maddie climb all over him and he is learning that she will feed him yummy stuff from the table! We love you, Brady!