Ben Got Showered

The sweet ladies from MES hosted a shower for Ben and Mommy Thursday, Jan. 24th. Mrs. Libby's room was sweetly decorated and full of the nicest gifts ever! As the teachers filled the classroom, we enjoyed some DE-lish cake and punch. Mommy opened the many gifts as Caroline entertained the guests. Caroline also did her best to wrangle a pair of scissors from a little desk! After some gentle but firm convincing that she didn't need the scissors, Caroline settled for some books from Mrs. Libby's library! It was a wonderful shower and thank you ladies for being so generous and kind in welcoming our baby Ben in such a special way.
On Sunday, Mommy's friends gave Ben a shower in the home of Mia and Mason Scogins. The table was chocked full of tasty delights... meatballs, cupcakes, fruits and dips, and outta this world good punch! As Mommy opened gifts, the ladies pinned Ben's new outfits on a clothesline strung across the windows! It was the cutest thing!! I appreciate the sweet girlies in Mommy's circle of friends, they know how to shower a boy for sure. Our BenBen is going to be the best dressed little man on Windy Hills!!

Twenty Months and Counting

For the last two weeks, I haven't been able to download photos to the blog using Internet Explorer. This has made Precious very cranky. It was suggested this week to download Firefox and try it from there. Well duh...wish I had thought of that sooner! Anyway, it worked and I'm back in bidness!!
Can you believe how Caroline has grown? It's just mind boggling that she will turn two years old in four months! Our Caroline is so comical, animated, funny, expressive... Each time I'm with her, she says or does something that is just brilliant! Words flow in garbled sentences, most I understand. Some are open to interpretation!
Caroline enjoys her stuffed characters, especially Kitty Tom and Pooh. They get hugs, kisses, and taken to bed for naps. Caroline dances and sings to her favorite cartoons and she can identify her favorite characters on M M Fun House, Little Einstein, and Doc McStuffins.
Granny says Caroline mimics her when folding towels. Granny snaps the towel into the air to straighten it to fold. Caroline does the snap and shake with a dish towel, sock, or whatever she can grab! She looks like she is waving a flag!
My special time with Caroline is when she wakes up too early from her nap. I try to get her to sleep longer by humming and rocking her back to sleep. Sometimes she will go back to sleep. Other times, she tries to fool me and I figure it out as she begins to hum with me...and that's the sweetest music to my ears.

Happy New Year Errybody

Bringing in the New
Year in style, baby!

Has this year has flown by or what? I've spent the last hour or more looking at pictures and organizing them. It's taken me way too long to do this because I can't help but stop on each one and recall the day and what we were doing in the picture.

Our Sweet Caroline has matured into a funny little girl, she's no longer my cuddly arm buddy but she does give the best hugs and kisses in the kingdom! She is comical, loving, and independent. Matter of fact, she's so independent that she somehow got herself out of her bed this morning! Mommy woke up to Caroline saying, "Daddy's lotion." She's not sure how, when, or what time Caroline got out of bed but Caroline woke her up holding Daddy's lotion! Mommy checked Caroline over and she was fine!! (Thank goodness!) I'm thinking a bed will be lowered tonight!

As I reflect back on the year, I have so much to be thankful for. Looking forward to the New Year, I get to add another great blessing, our baby Ben. I feel bad that I haven't given him the same blog time as did for Caroline... I promise to do better in 2013! God bless and best wishes to everyone for a happy, healthy New Year!
Please see the new video at the top left, Jabber Bath!

Oh Christmas Twee ...

What a wonderful Christmas we had with Caroline this year. The weather outside was cold, rainy, and a wintry mix was on the way. Inside, spirits were high and Caroline was in rare form. We arrived to a house filled with the aroma of Daddy cooking a bigger breakfast than Shoney's! We were treated to waffles, homemade biscuits, sausage, bacon, and my fav...apple butter! I ate way too much as I watched Caroline wrangle a waffle with her fork! I was dee-lish!
When it was time to open gifts, Caroline was Santa's little helper. She passed out gifts and assisted the recipient in opening them! After the cleanup, Mommy and I saw Caroline walk over to her new kitchenette  and put a cup under the faucet. She pretended to fill it with water then she took a chug as if it were full of Evian! We looked at each other with eyes wide and said, "Did you see that?"
Everyone was full and drowsy which was such a nice way to spend the afternoon.....on the sofa and in our recliners! It was a great day!
A few days after Christmas, Mommy and Daddy took the tree down while Caroline was napping. Mommy said when Caroline came into the living room, she looked around with a bit of confusion. SOME body done stold her Trissmas twee! Guess the strewing of the newspaper was pay back for the missing tree! That'll teach'em, huh?

Christmas is Coming!!

It's officially Christmas! Caroline saw Santa last night at the Country Club! He was there to make sure all the children had their list sent in so the elves could pack his bag with the right toys. Caroline sat in Santa's lap for a bit and Santa gave her a farm animal puzzle complete with sound. I think the best part of the night was playing with Jack and the other kids that were waiting to see Santa. I'll get the pictures from Mommy and post them soon. They are pretty cute!

We had a good day today at Windy Hills! We played beauty shop and Caroline got piggy tails. She wore them til nap time then they came down! Papaw and Granny came for a visit and brought her a coloring book with a special mess proof marker. When Caroline saw the marker and book...visiting hours ended. She really, REALLY likes her colors!!  

 

A Little Under the Weather

Caroline likes to empty
her toy bin and play inside it!

Nom, nom, nom...lovin' her
kone on the kob!

Taking meds like a trooper!

Caroline woke up this morning with a nasty little cough so Mommy quickly made an appointment for a visit to the doctor. After a thorough check up, Caroline was diagnosed with an upper respiratory infection. The doc sent Caroline home with a few prescriptions to knock out the old croupy cough. Later in the evening, reports came in saying although Caroline felt yucky, she was very good and felt well enough to play a bit and watch her favorite cartoons! Get well soon Caroline...Santa is coming!

Caroline is not happy that
safety locks have been
installed on her favorite
spice cabinet.

Hint to Santa -
Caroline is making her
list from the
Toys R Us flier.

After she learns to use the
tools of the trade, Caroline
plans to cook !

 

 

Happy Facksgibbin Errybody!

This week Caroline is 18 months old! She's no longer a baby but a very independent young lady. Often times when we are together, she starts a conversation. I listen as close as I can but I just can't make out all of her words. That's when my 'tending' skills come in handy, I 'tend I understand and talk back as if I DO know what she's saying!

I won't have access to the internet for a day or two so I'd like to wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving! I'm thankful for.... Jeff and Lindsey for the wonderful, loving home they give to Caroline... Mimi and Papaw who help take care of our lil' girl....Granny and Papaw who spoil Caroline perfectly....Pop who let's me work part time so Caroline can keep me! I'm also very thankful that we are getting our little boy in February! The list goes on and it just gets gooder and gooder! Thank you Lord for ALL of our many blessings.

Week 25.5

It's almost week 26 and Bubby is growing by leaps and bounds, reaching nine inches in length and passing the pound and a half mark. Experts say that our little Prince is the size of an eggplant! Under his skin, capillaries are forming and filling with blood and by week's end, air sacs will develop in his lungs, getting them ready for that first breath. Mind you, those lungs aren't ready for prime time just yet — but they are developing surfactant, a substance that will help them expand after birth. And speaking of breathing, Bubby’s tiny nostrils, which have been plugged up until now, are starting to open, and his vocal chords are getting ready to roar and in time, Bubby will be jabberin' up a storm, just like his big sis does now! In addition to all this totally amazing news....guess what? Bubby is growing more hair — and if we could see it, we’d now be able to make out its color and texture. I hope his hair is as pretty as Caroline's...but in a boyish way of course!

Twick or Tweet

Minnie Mouse came to Windy Hills for Halloween! Mommy ordered Caroline a costume of her favorite, well, one of her favorite cartoon characters...Minnieee! At first, Caroline wasn't too jazzed about the costume. She didn't like it and wouldn't wear it very long. When Halloween arrived, Caroline wore her costume proudly and Mommy said Caroline wore the Minnie ears all evening long! She was just too cute!!
For the weekend, Caroline and family made a quick trip to see baby Wyatt, Chloe, Livi and Lily. From what I saw, everyone had a great time and Wyatt was a perfect little doll..I can't wait to get my hands on him AND our own little man doll coming in February!

Bizzee Weekend for Caroline

 

Caroline had a great weekend, filled with fun, family, and laughter! She was blessed early Friday with a brand new friend, Wyatt Blake. Wyatt is Chloe's new baby brother, and a very handsome lil man he is. We were so excited to hear the news that Wyatt had arrived. Our phones were buzzing and pictures flying. Congratulations to the Keeth-Hart families! Us gals down here in LA (lower AR) can't wait to give him a hug and a lil peck on his cheek!

Saturday was a full day for the Windy Hills kid. It began bright and early when Daddy called to say he bagged a big buck! Mommy and Caroline went to see the huge deer and take pictures. Later in the day, the whole gang, including Caroline's sweet cousins from NA, Livi and Lily, met at the Punkin Patch and enjoyed the outing. It was cold and breezy but that didn't stop the girls! They had a great time together at the patch!

 

SEVENTEEN (!) Months Old

I’m such a bad Precious... it's been waaay too long since I posted about our sweet Caroline and I feel terrible! I could offer excuses but I have none when it comes to bragging about our baby girl who is 17 months old today! Whaaaa??
Caroline is quite the little girl. She has a myriad of faces and expressions that she uses often. My favorite is her fake cry. She will put her little hands up to her face, almost covering her eyes and begin to make a sound like waah hah, waah hah. The little fakester!
We have invented a game that we play with Mommy. I’ll hold Caroline and we will sneak up on Mommy while her back is turned. (Of course Mommy knows we are coming because Caroline can’t stay quiet.) I whisper to Caroline, “Shhh, let's be quite.” Then we will pounce on Mommy, making her jump and yell! Caroline laughs so hard that you can see all of her little teefies. I love to hear her little girl giggle, it's music to my heart.
Caroline has conquered the art of walking. She has no fear. My finger is no longer needed for support and she never hesitates at cracks or big steps anymore. When we go for our walk, she leans forward, puts her hands behind her back, and takes off! Or she will hold one arm very close to her side and swing the other as fast as she walks!
Every day brings a change in Caroline, she is maturing so fast and picking up so many little things that I can’t keep up with it all. Some of her favorite words are keethz, Athce, Dooths, one, two, go…DahDee, jooths (juice), Mih-ee (Mickey).Yesterday, Caroline made a sentence....she had Daddy’s keys and said, “Thiths is keethz.” Of course, we clapped and said 'Yea Caroline!!' She's sooo smart!

Boy OH Boy!!

Did someone say Baaaby Brotherrrrr??

Poor Caroline! Mommy just told what her shirt says. Her only child status will change mid February when her baby BROTHER, yes... I said, baby BROTHER arrives!!
Nahhh, just kidding, Mommy took a toy away from Caroline and she got upset. But we really ARE getting a sweet, hamsome lil' boy sometime in February.
I was in Wal-Mark's Saturday, minding my own bidness, looking at cards, when my cell phone rang. I answered it and it was my beautiful little girl. She said, " Hey Momma, are you home?" I said "No, where are you?" She said, "We're taking Caroline to Atwood's to get her baby brother some toys!".  Well, I folded like a cheap suitcase and started blubberin'.  I do remember asking, "Are you sure Lindsey? You're sure it's a boy, right?"
The last time I got the hot, cold, shaky, nervous, lump in my throat feeling was the day I heard we were getting sweet Caroline!! Wowzer, not one but TWO  sweet, adorable, perfect Bartonbabies!!! It just can't get any better than this!!
Congratulations to ALL of us, especially Daddy, Mommy, and Sweet Caroline!

Hot Dog, Hot Dog, Hot Diggety Dog

This is yet another exciting week for our lil baby! She (for this wk 16) now weighs in at a big old 4 to 5 ounces, and she's working on another inch in length.
Lil Miss AvoCaaado can now hear sounds which also means she can most likely hear the Mickey Mouse Funhouse that Caroline SO enjoys! Wonder if the little one knows the Hotdog Dance yet? Studies have found that babies who are sung to while they're in the womb recognize the same tune when it's sung to them after they are born! While our teeny one is getting used to voices, the tiny muscles in her body, especially the ones in her back, are gaining strength, so she can straighten out a little more.
Get this amazing lil’ detail…. her developing facial muscles enable her to make a few expressions such as frowns and squints, even at this early stage! Wonder if she smiles at the Hotdog Dance ditty?
Her heart is now pumping about 25 quarts of blood each day....25!! and this amount will continue to increase as Cootie Pie continues to develop.

Minney has SHOES!

As I refresh myself on the new baby facts each week - I again am reminded that God is busy creating miracles for us to love and enjoy! 

Big sis watching Mickey!

 

Sprout Report

Mommy went to the doctor today and she is fit as a fiddle. Good job Mommy! Big news to report…our little Towhead’s heart beat is at 153 and on Thursday of this week, he will be 15 weeks old and just about the size of an orange! Our little sprout weighs between 2 to 4 ounces and is about 4 inches from crown to boo-boo!

Get this….the little smarty britches can wiggle his fingers, curl his toes - why he’s even practicing his breathing, sucking and swallowing! His legs are growing longer and all of his limbs and joints are in good working order. Can you believe that our little Buddy is actually growing hair and eyebrows! Whoohoo!



Beach Baby, Beach Baby

Whooo went to the big old sandy beaches of Flawda for the first time ev-er? Our little swimsuit model, Caroline, that’s who! Last weekend, Mommy and Daddy took advantage of a beach invite from Nan and Papa Mark. They loaded up Thursday afternoon and made the drive to the Florida coast. Mommy said Caroline was awesome and made the trip just fine. At one point when I spoke to Mommy during the ride, Missy Caroline was reading a book! After setting up camp on the beach, Caroline enjoyed the sand- she was a busy bee busy digging and building with her pails and toys. Even the birds enjoyed Caroline visiting the beautiful coastline. They chirped and bounced and put on quite a show for her....see the video of diva Caroline and the beach birds! Although it was a fast trip, everyone enjoyed visiting and soaking up some summertime sun.

Mini Mickey Mouse Club Member

Serious about MM Club!

The summer is winding down and school is on the horizon. Matter of fact, it’s so close, you can feel the tension in Wal-Mart on the school supply aisle! Mommy has already returned for prep work so I went to Windy Hills today to keep Caroline. That cute, little girl is becoming quite a comedian. She is making some of the funniest faces and doing some of the funniest things! One thing Caroline enjoys is pulling wash cloths out of the cabinet and throwing them about or using them as pom-poms!

Cartoons mesmerize Caroline. When the Mickey Mouse Club or Bubble Guppies come on, she stops in her tracks to watch them. She not only watches them, she watches them very seriously!

After lunch, Caroline takes a good, sound nap and rises in the best humor. Today, she enjoyed fruit and juice with a few animal crackers thrown in for good behavior! When she had her fill, she turned the plate over the side of her high chair and emptied it on the floor!
Baby Update for Week Twelve
We don’t know what gender our little one is just yet, so, as I did for Caroline, I will do for this little gem. Each week, I will swap his for her and he for she!
Our baby now weighs about half an ounce and is just about 2 1/2 inches long now, give or take a tad. He can open his mouth, wiggle his fingers, and curl his toes, upon which tiny nails have begun to grow. Lil Barton baby can now clench his eye muscles and is making sucking movements with his mouth!
His reflexes and brain are developing in high gear! Most of his critical systems are fully formed! He's about to enter the growth and maturation stage, in which his organs and tissues will grow and develop really fast.
Mommy is doing great except for an occassional headache that lingers long enough to ruin her day. She's a trooper though and pushes her way through it until it goes away.

Are You Sitting Down?

A few weeks ago, I went to Windy Hills to see my favorite little peep. After I went in and got my dose of sugah, Mommy told Caroline to give me the gift pictured. I opened it to find a sweet little February amethyst bead to go on my bead bracelet. I said, "Thank you so much but I already have your birthstone, Lindsey." She said, "That's the month your other grandchild will be here." You could have thumped me and I would have fallen over! After the initial shock wore off and I was able to close my mouth (!) we all three hugged and laughed and cried. Poor Caroline didn't have a clue as to what was happening, she just knew she didn't like it and gave us one of her infamous frowns, furrowed her brow, and pooched her bottom lip! 

The ultrasound was taken last week and I have all the details to report. The baby, yes, BABY, is 11 weeks old now and approximately the size of a lime. The heart beat is 156 and the length is 3.5 cm from booboo to crown!  Lindsey said they could see little teensie weensie arms and legs and could also see the heart beating. The date set for arrival is February 22nd, 2013. Mark your calendars now!

I'm so excited!! I get to blog about Caroline as well as fruits and vegetables again!! And when February gets here, I will be just as nervous and excited and happy as I was the day Caroline made her debut. I know this precious lil baby will be totally awesome just like her/his big sis. (Sounds odd!!) I'm so thankful that I'll be blessed with another beautiful grandchild! Oh my gosh, that will make two you know. Hey, have I shown you the latest picture of..........ooops. Sorry, there I go again!