Happy Thanksgiving!

As the busy holiday season approaches, just wanted to wish everyone a healthy and happy Thanksgiving! We are staying in town this year. I am making Apple Pie, Pumpkin Pie and Sweet Potato Casserole and we'll be going to my sister-in-law's house for a yummy meal.

Carson is doing great! She's talking up a storm (still only a few REAL words) but she's got a lot to say. She loves music, dancing, and being a busy body. She absolutely loves the Wiggles! We have an almost daily dance session with those guys. She has her favorite purses (they used to be mine) and some of them are our lunch bags... she doesn't care.. She props it up on her shoulder, grabs her cell phone and goes to town. :)

So this year, we are very Thankful for CARSON!!! She's happy, healthy and so much fun. We are also very thankful for supportive family and friends. Hope you all have a wonderful holiday!

November already?

anyone out there? I've been running around like a maniac the last few weeks, so sorry for the lack of posting. sooo... Carson is walking all over the place now, even running a bit too. She tested out of early intervention, so no more physical therapy on Fridays. She is doing wonderful, so happy. Her vocabulary is starting to explode (favorite word of the month - APPLE). I had a business trip to New Orleans, and after a two day rest at home, Carson and I took a trip to North Carolina to watch my nephews while my sister and niece are in St. Louis for a procedure. That was fun (and exhausting- I don't know how Robin does it!) We made it home just in time for my company's annual Halloween party... where Carson got her first dose of trick-or-treating. She caught on really fast and had a blast both at the party and for actual Halloween Trick-or-Treating. Carson was a butterfly.... and she pulled it off beautifully!

We live in a great neighborhood. We probably had 75+ kids come by. Carson had so much fun... she wanted to stay outside all night and visit the creepy Halloween scene across the street, interact with the other little kids, and of course... trick-or-treat!

phew... so now we're home and trying to get over the colds that we picked up, and resting up for the next big adventures... VOTING on Tuesday!!, my mom (Bebe) is coming to visit next weekend, and then more travel for me and then the holidays are right around the corner!

Aruba, New York and First Steps... oh my!

Where does the time go? vacationing that's where!!

We went to Aruba the third week of August for my belated 30th birthday.. After a trying flight (Carson was not her normal chipper flying self) we arrived to an impossible rooming situation. A tiny, non-soundproof, tiny, too small for a bed and crib, tiny room that we were supposed to live in for a week. Carson started protesting the minute we got in there, and refused to lie down in her cage.. I mean crib....and the screaming started. Steve and I were seriously contemplating paying out serious cash to another property or even flying home if we had to stay in that room all week. Luckily for us, they had a 1-BR suite available and they only charged us a nominal fee to switch rooms. THANK GOD!! The week was looking a whole lot more promising at that point.

We had a fantastic time and the sun, sand and water was relaxing and just what we needed, but Carson was more excited when we got home... She did well and had a good time in Aruba, but she babbled more on the car ride home than she did the entire week. She jumped for joy in her crib and played with her toys happily for an hour, so her slogan is definitely "there's no place like home".

As my friend said to me, No Grass Grows Under my Feet, and she's right... this past weekend we made the journey to upstate New York where my Dad and Stepmom bought their retirement home... We had a great time.. They bought a house on a bay of Lake Ontario, so we had the sounds of waves crashing to lull us to sleep, and the beautiful view to occupy 90% of our waking hours. We took the boat out for a spin, and Carson actually fell asleep before we pulled away from the dock and slept the entire ride... I'm not a water-skier, so I could care less if they buy skis, but they definitely need a tube... perhaps next summer. We made the trip an international one, with a quick jaunt over the border into Canada to see the 1000 Lakes Region. We were there all of 20 minutes, but it was really pretty!

But, by far the biggest news of the weekend was that CARSON TOOK HER FIRST STEPS! She's now a walker! She took a couple of unassisted steps on Sunday and her face lit up as she realized her accomplishments. By Monday, she ventured down the hallway all by herself. Yea!! It was exciting that her Grandpa and Grandma Susan were there to witness the big event.

phew... I think I'm all caught up now... I've got a few work-trips planned this fall, but for now it will be good to stay home a bit and relax! You know that saying about needing a vacation from your vacation? I need a vacation!

Canada eh?

Shame on me... I got so caught up in life, work, house chores, etc. once I returned from vacation, I forgot to blog about Canada! (Sorry Alan, Christina & CiCi)

We had a great time north of the border. My only regret was that Carson didn't get a stamp in her passport when we went through the border patrol. bummer. Seriously. the 9 hour drive really wasn't that bad, and Carson did great! It was a bit rainy while we were there, but this entire summer has been rainy, so we all made the best of it. Seeing our friends was great, and Carson and CiCi became friends fast. Steve and Alan got to go four-wheelin' twice and they saw a bear and a eagle on their adventure (lucky dogs.) Carson and I went to a butterfly farm with Christina and CiCi, and while Carson loved the butterflies, she accidentally mamed one... imagine clipped wings... she tried to eat part of the wing for good measure. ugh.

hopefully you can see the two of them.. my first attempt at black and white photography on my digital camera... some computers its fine (sorry if its too dark on your screen)

A HUGE THANK YOU to Alan, Christina, and the adorable CiCi.. thanks for having us up!! We'll have to do it again next summer!

Now, since then.... Carson has sprouted some teeth.. I haven't counted up top, but she has 5 on the bottom including two molars... and she's about to start walking!! Well, maybe in a few weeks, but she's almost there! She loves to be sung to, and she's very talkative (just not with words that us big people understand) She has her 15 month check up tomorrow... and her physical therapy 6-month evaluation is coming up in September.. Hopefully she'll graduate out of the program! hmmm.. what else? Oh, she just had her first haircut two weeks ago.. just a trim of the bangs. very cute.

We're off for Vacation #3 soon... ARUBA!! woohoo! Carson will definitely get a stamp in her passport this time! This is my 30th birthday celebratory trip... we just had to take it a few months later...

Vacation time!

Carson and I are just back from a whirlwind trip to Charlotte... (well that is what it felt like) We were there a week, but it FLEW by!! I don't think I ate one meal at my house.. We were on the go the entire time. We managed a trip to Boone (mmmm Makotos!) and we went to the NC Zoo on Wednesday. I had never been, so that was a treat! It was hotter than..... but still fun. Unfortunately there were a few friends and family I didn't get to see... I hope to get to see you the next trip!!

What wasn't so fun was that Carson was teething... trying to sprout two teeth. Perfect timing. So she was somewhat miserable for part of the trip, but she was a good sport! Steve didn't go on this trip, so it was just us girls... If I haven't mentioned this before... Carson is quite the Daddy's girl... they are equally fond of each other, so you can imagine the homecoming when Carson saw Steve at the airport... She practically sprang out of my arms she was so excited to see him!! At least she was mine for a few days... now she is his again. sigh.

We're off to Canada on Friday... Moncton (New Brunswick) to be exact. We were really sad when our friends left Massachusetts (and the USA) for Canada... but it does give us a reason to road-trip to see them!

and yes, Carson has her very own passport!! By summer's end she'll have two stamps.. Canada and Aruba!

Throw Down!!

Rock. Paper. Scissors.

Rock Paper Scissors is considered a "sport" and they actually have leagues and a tourney too!! Where have I been? Two girls I knew in college just got back from Las Vegas and the 2008 USARPS Championship Tourney... reading up on the website, I had to join!! Why not? I have just as much a chance at winning as the next guy (or gal). And the website is FUNNY!! http://www.usarps.com/

A guy (athelete!) from Massachusetts won the entire thing and took home $50,000! And he gets to go on to compete in Beijing! (ok, so maybe not a perk according to my two colleagues that have gone to Beijing on more than one occasion) but still! I have to get in on the action!

RPS. It's on.

30 Happens.

Let's observe a moment of silence... My youth has passed. I'm officially 30. It happened on a Monday. Yesterday to be exact. The day itself was great.. I went shopping on Newbury Street with my mom and Carson... we went out to eat at a fabulous restaurant.. I got calls, gifts, cards, etc. but I'm still a little sad...

Although, one of my friends just said that 30 has been her best year so far, and I'm going to try to adopt that attitude...

Afterall, I am losing weight (yea!), I have a wonderful hubby and Carson, I'm going to Canada and Aruba this year (double yea!), I only work 4 days a week (triple yea!) and I have great friends and family (bonus!)! I can do this 30 thing... no sweat.

For all you country fans out there... this is a very wise song.. And I'm going to keep in mind as I move forward!

I think I'll take a moment, celebrate my age
The ending of an era and the turning of a page
Now its time to focus in on where I go from here
Lord have mercy on my next thirty years

Hey my next thirty years
I'm gonna have some fun
Try to forget about all the crazy things I've done
Maybe now Ive conquered all my adolescent fears
And I'll do it better in my next thirty years

My next thirty years I'm gonna settle all the scores
Cry a little less, laugh a little more
Find a world of happiness without the hate and fear
Figure out just what I'm doing here
In my next thirty years

Oh my next thirty years, I'm gonna watch my weight
Eat a few more salads and not stay up so late
Drink a little lemonade and not so many beers
Maybe I'll remember my next thirty years

My next thirty years will be the best years of my life
Raise a little family and hang out with my wife (**HUSBAND**)
Spend precious moments with the ones that I hold dear
Make up for lost time here, in my next thirty years
In my next thirty years

Thanks Tim McGraw!
** Here's to my next 30 years! **

She's ONE year old!!

She's a big GIRL now!!

okay, so she really turned one on the 9th, but its been a pretty hectic week!! Carson had a fantastic birthday weekend!! Lots of loot and lots of love is what she got!! Me- I got a second degree burn, but it was still a great weekend!

We're having fun this weekend. Bebe (her grandmother/my mom) is in town visiting, and we're eating a lot, shopping, and seeing some sites! Like today, we went to the mill at the Longfellow's Wayside Inn

Ready..Set. GO!!

And.. she's off! Carson started crawling on Wednesday, and hasn't looked back since! Let me tell you... this girl is in to everything! Its almost like she has been taking inventory of everything she wanted to touch as soon as she figured out how to move... Nothing is off limits to her... (which WILL change!) You can tell how excited she is to be finally moving!

Carson has sprouted two more teeth... she's up to 4 (top two and bottom two) and she has another huge milestone coming up.. Her FIRST birthday!! this Friday to be exact. We have a family party planned in her honor.. with an Egg-free cake too!! ooh- and then we get to turn her two car seats around so she'll be forward facing!!! I can't believe how fast this year has flown by....

That's about all the news in Carson land!! Happy early birthday to my sweet baby girl!!

Busy Month.. Where to Start?

hmmm... where to start ?? Well, Carson has had a rough month!! Thanks to a traumatic blood test session, we found out that she is definitely allergic to EGGS (the yolks and the whites). We're hoping it will be a mild allergy. We will have an appointment with an allergist at some point, but in the meantime I'm looking for eggless cake recipes for her 1st birthday!! (can you believe she's almost one!!)

Carson was also recently evaluated on her gross motor skill development, and well.. she needs help. So she has been enrolled in Early Intervention. Once a week a physical therapist (Jodi) comes to our house and plays with Carson (while making her work her muscles). We've only had one session, and that was a "get-to-know-each-other" session. Hopefully this week they'll get to business!! :)

Good news... is she finally sprouted her third tooth! The fourth is not far behind. Soon she'll have her top two and bottom two in place. More good news! We just got her a passport, and we're Canada and Aruba-bound this summer! Canada to visit our good friends who recently moved there, and to Aruba to celebrate my 30th birthday (it will be a belated birthday trip!!).

I just got home from a business trip to Portland, OR. What a fun town!! So Green (the color and environmentally!) I had the most fantastic people to work with at the hotel and some of them even shared my fondness/curiosity for the TLC show "Little People, Big World". The Roloff's live right outside of Portland, so one of the hotel staff went out there and took a picture of the Roloff Farm sign. I wish it could have been me there at the sign! just kidding. But seriously, it would have been nice to have some extra time to visit the Oregon coast, Mt. Hood, etc. Having a baby changes everything! As it was, I was gone 5 days... Luckily this trip Carson wasn't mad at me when I came home.. she was excited to see me!! (it warms my heart!!)

Allergic to EGGS!?!

So Happy belated Easter to Everyone!! We have had one heck of a week. Carson and I both got (and survived) the stomach bug. I've done more laundry this week (Oxy Baby is a wonder!) than I can remember, and to top it off... Carson had an allergic reaction yesterday to eggs of all things (we *think*). We have an appointment with the Doc on Thursday to discuss allergy testing since there are so many allergies running rampant in our family. I hope she's not truly allergic to eggs, because.. well... they are in Everything.. but if she is, we'll deal.

All in all, we DID have a wonderful Easter. Carson loved her basket that the Bunny brought her, and she struck the jackpot last night when she finally managed to crack open a plastic egg, and found her precious cheerios in there!

And to my NCAA tournament rivals... I'm down, but I'm poised for the comeback of a lifetime!! I still have all my final four competing and the most possible points left - Sha-Zam!! Just like my team name suggests.. ERIN is going TWO for TWO!!! I WILL have another champion trophy at the end!!

HELEN - 90 Years YOUNG!!!

We're heading to North Carolina tomorrow for a very special occasion. My Grandmother is turning 90 on Friday!!! We've got a party planned in her honor and it should be a lot of fun! Can you believe how great she looks??

This woman has been an incredibly important part of my life and I love her so much! Happy Early Birthday GM!! Can't wait to see you this weekend!

Carson's New 'Do'

I picked up Carson from Daycare today, and voila.. new do. Funny, but I kinda like it!

I can't believe a month has flown by and no blogs! Shame on me. What can I say, we're full of life here! We're still waiting for spring to arrive, but in the meantime we're heading South for the weekend! It's my Grandmother's 90th birthday on Friday! (see above post!)

Lazy girl is still not rolling over, crawling, or getting herself into a sitting position, so we've made an appointment with Early Intervention to come and evaluate her to see if she's a candidate for just that.. early intervention for her motor skills. If she is a candidate, a therapist will come to the house once a week and play with her (goal being to work with her while playing - so it doesn't appear like work!) The one thing she's now got going for her, is AMBITION!! She finally wants to move.. she just doesn't know how to get around. Hopefully this will help her.

Two teeth!

Count them.. Two teeth.. ha ha ha!!
(bottom two!)

First Tooth!

Carson got her first tooth yesterday! You can't really see it too well, but you can feel it! I picked her up from daycare yesterday, and that's when we felt it! Maybe now, some of the drooling will subside (a girl can dream right?). I hear the South is in a drought... I could have supplied some water over the past few months. Carson has been so drooly!! Here's a recent pic of the two of us.. She's a happy girl! That's the news in our part of the world!

long overdue, but.....

Goodbye 2007, and hello 2008! It's been such a crazy hectic year, winter, Christmas, New Year's...etc... so I'm just now getting around to updating. We had an amazing Christmas. We spent time with everyone in our immediate family, and that's a big deal especially considering that they are spread out amongst Maine, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, North Carolina and Georgia! Carson took her first airplane ride (and her inaugural flight was in FIRST CLASS too!). She did OK... I only had to turn around to people and apologize 2 or 3 times. ;)

Carson got everything that she wanted for Christmas except her first tooth!! She's sitting up now, babbling, and singing up a storm. You would think that since almost every picture of her has her pacifier attached to the mouth, that she can't live without it, but she does know how to take it out of her mouth and put it back in... upside down, but still. She loves all of her toys, and she's great at picking up what she wants and playing with it.

Since getting back home, we have had a thaw outside, and the temps actually reached into the 60s this week... Almost all of the snow is now gone, but I'm sure its just a matter of time before the next snow storm comes along. It is only the second week of January.