Saturday, October 29, 2011

Calton Laughing, Playing and Trying to "Talk"!

HaLLoWeEn FuN!!!

Last night, Calton attended his first Halloween festival! We met his MiMi and Poppy at Dawson (their church) in Homewood, and stayed for about an hour! Calton was dressed in his costume and enjoyed looking around! It was very cold and he wasn't crazy about the toboggan part of his costume, so we went to the inside part where it was much warmer and started taking his costume apart piece by piece, so he could get comfy! I am sure he will have a lot more fun at this festival next year when he can run around and play! Nevertheless, we still had a fun time celebrating another one of our sweet baby boy's "firsts"!

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Big Changes Coming!

Starting next Tuesday, I will officially become a working mom. This is my fifth year teaching, but will be my first year teaching and being Calton's mama. I am sure it will be challenging to balance both and I will miss being with him during the days. However, he is going to be VERY well taken care of. Shawndee Lovoy will keep him at her home (in my neighborhood), with her three year old little girl. So, he will get the benefits of staying at home, it just won't be with me. She has four of her own children and I know I will learn so much from her experience as a mom. Calton already loves her and I am now at a place where I am more comfortable with the idea of leaving him. Don't get me wrong- it is going to be VERY hard, but I hope and pray that we will both adjust quickly to our new routines. I know that I will value every second with him (more than ever), when I pick him up in the afternoons! We will just have to play extra hard to make up for the missed times!!! ;o) Most moms cry when their children go to kindergarten...I will be excited because then he gets to go to school with me every day (a perk of teaching at the school he will attend)!
So, in your prayers this week and the next, please pray for our family during these big changes taking place next week!

We have been getting stuff together for Calton to take and leave at Shawndee's house and I found a cool seated activity center. It is originally a bumbo type seat, then you turn it into a rotating activity center, and then when he outgrows it, you can strap the seat onto a chair and it functions as a high chair! I thought that was pretty cool! The picture below is of him trying it out! He must have REALLY loved it because we heard him laugh for the first time last night when he played in it! I was so happy that I was still home to hear his first laugh! Chad was home too! What a special moment for all of us!

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Cutest Frog I Have Ever Seen!!!

This is Calton's first Halloween, and he is dressing up as a frog! I am not exactly sure what a three month old does on Halloween, but we will dress him up and stroll him around the neighborhood because he will enjoy seeing all of the other children! He LOVES "people watching" - so he will get to see a lot of different and interesting costumes on this night!!! I am sure he will be very entertained!!!

Tuesday, October 25, 2011

Calton "Talking"

Calton's Second Month







  • You did NOT like lying flat on your back anymore. No swings or bouncy seats for you!
  • Cooing was something that you loved to do, especially when it was time for bed. You would say "ooohhh", and what sounded like hey!
  • Periodically, you would sleep through night. You were very unpredictable when it came to your sleeping schedule.
  • You started grabbing at objects and LOVED your activity/jumper center!
  • You stuffed your hands in mouth - a lot!
  • You started eating cereal (shhh...we broke the rules on this one)!
  • We transitioned you to sleeping on a wedge (not nap nanny).
  • Your Grandaddy discovered that you liked to stand. From this point on, this was pretty much your favorite thing to do. You also liked to walk with our help. You would even pick up your legs and take steps across an entire room...left, right, left, right...it was pretty amazing!!!
  • You held your head up high during tummy time; however, you HATED tummy time!
  • You began smiling when I smiled at you!
  • You pooped in the tub for the first time (and we made Daddy clean it out)!
  • You had your first diaper blowout!
  • I took you to the park for the first time and you LOVED swinging. You seemed to totally relax and even fall asleep in the swing. We bought one for the back porch because you loved it so much!
  • You had your first ear infection...this was no fun. You did not have a high pain tolerance and were pretty miserable.
  • First case of "thrush"
  • Since you wanted to be a big boy and look around all of the time, I began letting you sit up in the seat part of your stroller. You. LOVED. This.
  • Every now and then, you glanced at the tv. Daddy loved holding you and watching football. Football seemed to captivate you, like not other show did. Maybe you will grow up to love football, just like we do!
  • First trip to Eufaula for your Daddy's conference.
  • First trip to Atlanta so your Daddy could go to the Auburn/Clemson game!
  • You drank between 3-4 oz on average, every 3 hrs
  • Started leaving hands open majority of the time
  • 6 week shots (pitiful)
  • Tylonol for the first time
  • You started LOVING books and being read to. You would reach up and try to grab the book!
  • You still can only sleep if you are tightly swaddled!!!

Calton's First Month

"O" Months Old
One Month Old
Five Days Old: Newborn Photo Shoot

More Pictures From the First Month:


  • We saw your first smile! (and our hearts melted)
  • You slept all of the time!
  • You held your head up sturdily (even as the nurse placed you on my chest in the recovery room)!
  • Mimi and Poppy babysat you so I could go to the doctor (first babysitter)!
  • You drank an average of 2 oz every 2 hrs.
  • Your hands were always in tight fists!
  • Your friend Kohen came over for your first play date, and your friend, Andrew, came over often to play!
  • You attended your first birthday party! (Greer Haswell turned 1!)
  • You loved sitting in your Boppy like a big boy!
  • You HAD to be swaddled to sleep.
  • Newborn photo shoot: You were 5 days old and we took you to a studio downtown and the photographer changed you a dozen times and positioned you in tons of adorable ways! However she molded you, you would stay!



Looking Back!





Since I am a little late getting started, I am going to go back and highlight the past two months of Calton's life! I will then highlight each month as he grows, as well as some of our family activities and adventures!

These have by far been the most rewarding, happiest, and purposeful three months in my life.
Nobody can ever prepare you for the love that you will have for your own child. From the moment I saw him in the operating room, I was overwhelmed with emotion. I could not believe that he had been growing inside of me for all of those months - and that he was ours forever, God willing! It didn't even seem real. It honestly felt like a dream. I instantly felt the strongest bond and love, unlike any other. The love a mother has for her child is a love unmatched. I thank God every day for giving us such a wonderful blessing.




Never Say Never

Well, here I am, creating a blog. I NEVER thought this day would come. For some reason, I am intimidated by doing this. The funny thing is that I LOVE technology. I even have a Masters in Technology. So, why does creating a blog freak me out so much??? My anxiety began as I tried to come up with a cute blog title. My heart was literally racing as I thought about it. I finally just put something down, knowing I could come back and change it at a later date.


I really enjoy reading other people's blogs, but never thought I had enough to talk about to be able to create my own blog. Maybe that is why I put off creating one. I guess I looked at it as pointless. That has all changed now with the addition of Mr. C to our family! Every day he learns new things and finds a new way to make us smile. Also, just when we think we have things all figured out (and some form of a schedule going), it all changes! So, needless to say, I now have more to blog about than I have time!!!


So...here I am, BLOGGING! Who would have ever thought?! I hope to one day print this blog into a book, so that we can all look back on his childhood and remember all of the fun, and even the challenges (teething, sleeping through the night, mommy going back to work ect), that we had raising him!!!