It's Hard To Believe...

that my beautiful baby boy is one today! It's passed me by all too fast...even faster than B's first year.

Last night, as I was nursing him to sleep, I had a moment. I realized that right then, one year ago I held him for the first time. There is a 6 hour time difference between here and Germany, so officially, in that very moment he was one. I held him close to me and I sobbed. And I sobbed some more. I held him long after he was sound asleep and just listened to his slow, sweet breathing. I sat there, holding him for almost two hours. I just wanted to stop the clock. I wanted to keep him right there, with me, my baby, forever.

But the longer I looked at him, the more I realized that God has big plans for him. And, as much as I'd love to keep him little forever, I can't wait to watch him grow into the man he will become.

He's already amazing. A smile rarely leaves his lips. He's beautiful...inside and out.

He's a bit of a chatter box, wildly determined, stubborn (wonder who he gets that from?? :)), a BIG eater, into everything, and taking a few steps here and there. All in all...he's perfect!

I still have pictures to post from his party (and Brady's too, for that matter). Keep an eye out...they're coming soon.

Until then, I'm off to enjoy all of life's precious moments with the two most amazing little boys in the whole world!

San Diego, A House, And A Baby Who Doesn't Like Apples

I know it's been forever since I've posted, but I've been a little busy. Between my family, two kids, their doctors appointments (Brady has had strep and Noah an ear infection and a 6 month check up), traveling, and building a house, I don't have much time to blog...or bathe for that matter!

So, to save time, I thought I'd combine a few topics into one post to get ya' caught up on where we are.

First up, San Diego. We flew to San Diego 5 days after arriving in the states from Germany to visit Buck's family. His parents are both from San Diego and his grandparents still live there. The last time we were there, I was 6 weeks pregnant with Brady, so the great-grandparents hadn't seen either of the boys yet. It was a wonderful time! Of course, perfect weather and family always make for a good time, right?

In this photo: Buck's parents and siblings, (minus one sister who couldn't make it out) and his paternal grandparents, a.k.a, Granny and Grandpa.
Four generations of Carroll men; all of whom have the first name Allan and the initials, ABC. :)

Granny with the boys. And this is again Buck's family, but with his maternal grandparents, his aunt and two of her three kids.

The boys with Nana and Papa. Brady was in no mood for pictures this day!

Me with two of my beautiful sister-in-laws. :) (I decided to throw this one in since I rarely post a picture with me in it.) The House: It's coming along...slowly! I didn't realize how long it took to build a house (the lot was cleared in April!) or how involved a process it truly was. (Bless you dear mother for the months of work you did without me here to help!) We finally have stucco outside (which has been re-done since this picture was taken thanks to a composition problem) and painted walls inside. The doors, crown and baseboards were going in today, and cabinets are being delivered tomorrow. Eventually, we will have a driveway, and flooring put down, and be able to move in...eventually. The baby: I swear this kid has taken the term, "picky eater" to a whole other level. Remember this post. Well, the grains weren't agreeing with him. A few hours after eating the cereal (oatmeal too) he would vomit. Not the baby spit up kind, the projectile kind involving coughing and spitting. I took him off for a month and tried again at 6 months with the same result. His pediatrician told me some babies don't tolerate grains well and to just start him out on apples, bananas or pears. So I did. And he hates them. ALL of them! He makes the awful face (pictured below), gags and spits them all over me. So far he's hated apples, peas, bananas, squash and pears. I continue in my futile efforts, hoping that one day he'll choke down a bite or two and find something other than Mama's milk palatable. That's about it for now. Hopefully, I'll find time to post before October rolls around.

**Disclaimer: I know that these pictures are in need of editing, but I'm too tired and busy, (or maybe just too lazy) to edit them.**

Check This Out!

Here's two more recent LO's I've completed. One for each of my precious boys! The kit is Into The Night by Stolen Moments and it's on SALE right now for 30% off! This is absolutely one of my favorite kits!! It's gorgeous!! Perfect for girl pages, boy pages, wedding pages or LO you want to add an easy elegant touch to!

Hello, Perfection:

I Love You:

Images are linked for full credits.

Mmmmm.....

This past Monday, I started Noah on his rice cereal, or mush as I like to call it.

He really wasn't sure what to think as he took that first bite. The look on his sweet face was something like, "Moooom, what are you feeding me? And, whhhhyyyy?". Pure, utter, confusion! He was so cute!

I thought for his first time, he was a remarkably good, clean eater. And, over the course of the week, his skills have improved even more. :) Now, he gets really excited when he sees the spoon coming at him. He now tries to grab it and feed himself! (Whoa! Slow down there buddy! Baby steps! ;))

Here are a few pics we snapped.

The first bite...judging by that face, he wasn't liking it.
And, out it goes... Second attempt...

Thinking it over... Ahhh...and there it is...the smile of approval!

I Was Here

Today, as I was scrapbooking, I was listening to "I Was Here" by Lady Antebellum. I'm sure most of you have heard the song by now. In case you have not, here is bit of the lyrics ...

You will notice me

I'll be leaving my mark, like initials carved in an old oak tree

You wait and see

Maybe I'll write like Twain wrote

Maybe I'll paint like Van Gogh

Cure the common cold

I do not know, but I'm ready to start, because I know in my heart

I want to do something that matters

Say something different

Something that sets the whole world on it's ear

I want to do something better with the time I've been given

I want to touch a few hearts in this life

And leave nothing less than something that says I was here

There was a time that I felt lost. I was searching for my purpose, wondering why God put me on this earth. I spent my days and nights asking, praying, hoping I would find my passion ... or at least a way to feel that my life meant something to someone. A few years ago, maybe I would have heard this song and wondered what I would do to leave my mark on this world, but not anymore.

I do not need to write like Twain wrote, or paint like Van Gogh. Michaelangelo's got nothing on me.

Just look at those two little faces. They are my David, my Mona Lisa, my legacy. They are my mark on this world. Because of them I have done much more than just pass through this life. Even if no one else in this world remembers my name it does not matter, they will.

When I look into their precious faces this life becomes crystal clear. They are my reason. And long after I'm gone little pieces of my heart will still be wandering this world.

There's not a day that goes by that I do not praise God for the blessing of my boys. Being their mother is the greatest honor I could ever receive.

Officially Announcing...

A Few Pictures From Today

Power to the people!! haha

Brotherly Love

As a mother, it's beautiful to watch the love between your children.

When it comes to his brother, Brady's little heart is full of love and wonder. Never once has he acted jealous or malicious towards this new little one who takes up so much of my time. In fact, he's already protective of Noah. He gets flustered when he cries. He'll come running to wherever I am and say, "Mommy, Noah's mad! Noah's mad!" and then run back to Noah to try and sooth him with his paci as he tells his little brother, "It's okay Noah.". Seeing them together fills my heart with indescribable joy!

The other morning I was able to capture this precious moment between them...

Wordless Wednesday--The BIG And little Of It

A Labor Story (And One Month Pictures)

I thought since Noah is one month old today (Really? Already?!?), I would finally post the story of his entrance into the world.

As you know, he made his appearance on Valentine's Day at 12:45 in the morning. I was 37 weeks and 6 days. My little man had hung in there!!

On Saturday, the 13th, my mom flew in. Her flight arrived at 9:40 in the morning. Buck was there to pick her up. The airport is in Frankfurt, just under 2 hours away. By the time she cleared customs, got her luggage, made it through the stau (traffic jam) and got here to the house it was 12:30 in the afternoon. We said hello, hugged a million times, she gave B the presents she brought for him, we sat down on the couch and started talking and I couldn't stop smiling. I had missed her so much for the last 10 months!

At 2:00 I began to feel a few contractions. They just felt different...lower, tighter and a bit more uncomfortable. I wouldn't have thought anything of it, since this wasn't the first time I'd had contractions that felt this way, but early that morning I had a few tale-tale signs that labor was approaching, but it still could have been a few days away. After realizing that the contractions were pretty close together and becoming stronger and more regular, we started timing them. By 5:30, they had been under 2 minutes apart for over an hour and were beginning to get uncomfortable. I called Labor & Delivery, told them what had been going on and the nurse said, "Sounds like a good story. Come on in. We'll have a bed waiting." At this point I was pretty sure that this was it. We were going to have a baby! After Buck grabbed a bite to eat, we were off to the hospital.

It was about 7:00 by the time we made it to Landstuhl and checked in at L&D. They got me situated, hooked me up to the monitors and started the IV. We turned on the TV, and the Super Bowl was on again. Of course, I could watch it a million times, so we left it on and settled in.

I'll spare all the details of labor and delivery except for a few...

The first time they check me I had dilated to 4. It didn't take too long to get to the end. As with Brady, I had a pretty fast, easy labor. When it came time to push, it was a breeze. 6 times and he was out!

I'm serious about pushing! By the time I've made it through 9 mostly miserable months, and hours of painful labor, I'm ready to get it over with!! I'm sure those of you who have experienced child birth would agree!

As they were finishing up, I was holding a perfect, beautiful baby boy, with a ton of hair!! I was oblivious to anything or anyone in the room. Tears filled my eyes and all I kept saying was, "He's perfect! Look at him! He's perfect!".

So, all those months of worry were for naught. The snow had finally stopped, the roads were perfectly clear, we made it to the hospital in plenty of time, the head of OB was the doc on call who delivered Noah, my mom was here to watch B that night and the next day while we were in the hospital, and Noah had waited it out for another 4 weeks and was perfectly healthy! It was like God was saying, "See. I told you I would take care of you. Now do you trust me?". "Yes, God. I do. I really do. Thank you for this perfect little miracle!".

All I Have Seen

"All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Baby's 1st Bath

Last night we gave Noah his first real bath. Until now we've just been giving "sponge" baths on the side of the sink. He hated them!

I thought that maybe once he was in that warm, soothing water he'd like bath time a little more. Boy was I ever wrong! I think he may have hated it more!

Poor little guy. His eyes were tightly closed and his mouth open with the most horrifying scream coming out the entire time. Needless to say, it was a quick bath! But, as soon as he was wrapped up in his warm towel and in Mama's arms, all was well again.

Just A Swinging

Noah loves his swing! I think he could lay in it all day. Of course, that would never happen because I can't resist that face...or that sweet baby smell. He spends most of his time right next to Mama! But, when he is in his swing he's a happy, content little boy.

Bright Eyed Baby

It's hard to get pictures of Noah with his eyes open, so I thought I'd post the few that I have (and a few sweet sleeping ones too). He is the most content, laid back baby I've ever been around. He rarely cries...only when changing his diaper, bath time and if he gets really hungry. The rest of the time, he sleeps.

He's just over a week old and already he's sleeping 5-6 hours at night! It almost worries me. I asked my mom if she thought something could be wrong. I'm just not used to this!

Brady, as sweet and beautiful as he was, nearly drove me to drinking! He screamed (and I do mean screamed!) from 9 in the morning until 10 at night every, single, day for 7 months! It was colic in overdrive!! He didn't sleep through the night until he was 13 months old and he was 10 months before he took a nap that was longer than 30 minutes. Add to that the fact that he wanted to nurse every hour to hour and a half and a husband who left when he was 11 weeks old...it was challenging to say the least.

I suppose God just knew that if I were ever to have another child I needed one like Noah!

Meant To Be

I thought that this would be difficult...

That somehow we'd have to put in a lot of time, a lot of effort to make it work.

That it would be a BIG adjustment for our family, especially for Brady...

but I was so wrong.

We came home with our beautiful newborn son and everything fell right into place.

It's obvious that this is how it is supposed to be...

A family of 3 growing seamlessly into a family of 4...

Hearts with more than enough love to share with one more...

So full of pride and thankfulness for this gift...

A little boy who has found it in his heart to willingly accept and love his little brother...

Months of worry subsided...

Abundantly blessed by God's goodness, grace and love.

I'm a bit overwhelmed by these feelings. I thought that my heart, my life couldn't be any better, couldn't get any fuller. But once again, I've looked into the face of a miracle and been changed forever. Once again, I've been reminded of what I was put here to do and I feel more alive than ever.

Every day I open my eyes and thank God for the beautiful blessings he's given me in my family. As I look into each of their faces I know that right here, right now this life is right where I'm meant to be.

An Uncanny Resemblance

I still can't believe how much Brady and Noah resemble one another at this age. Right after Noah was born I just kept saying that I couldn't believe how much he and Brady looked alike.

And they still do...

Not exactly alike...they each have their own little look, but in some of these early pictures, they could be identical twins! If I didn't separate the two and put them in folders labeled Brady and Noah, in a few years I wouldn't know who was which!

The first picture is Brady, the second Noah, both just minutes after birth. I know that Noah's is a little far away, but if you enlarge it, you can see what I mean.

My Perfect Valentine

He's here! Noah Allan arrived on the 14th of February at 12:45 a.m. He is 7 pounds, 21 inches of perfection!!

Many, many more pictures and posts to come!

36 Weeks

I know I should take a picture for this post (it could be the last one of the kind :)), but I haven't been presentable in weeks! And, Monday, I was all gussied up for my appointment, but totally forgot about a picture.

Anyway, here's the latest...

Bed Rest: No more!! Monday at my appointment I got the green light to do whatever I wanted! I came home and started cleaning. The nesting instinct had kicked into overdrive! I swept, vacuumed, and steam cleaned the floors! I will say that as hard as it was some days to just sit there, I'm so thankful that I followed the doctor's orders. I know now that Noah will be strong and healthy when he makes his grand entrance and that I did all I could to give him the best possible start in life.

Aches and pains: Where don't I hurt? They never end! The muscle spasms in my back and stomach make sleep pretty much impossible these days. However, as miserable as it is, I'd rather be the one suffering than to have Noah have come earlier and seen him have to suffer.

Sleep: lessness. Sweet sleep eludes me. I can't for the life of me understand why a woman in her very last weeks of pregnancy, has to be so miserable that she can't sleep. Doesn't God know that I have mere days left to sleep? I should be getting the best rest of my life right now!

Labor Signs: I'm still having daily periods of very regular, very frequent contractions. They do seem to be getting stronger, but nothing to send me running back to labor and delivery. At my appointment I had dilated a bit (from 1 to almost 3), so they are making some progress.

Mental State: Dilapidated! Half the time I can't remember why I walked into a room or what I have begun to write on my grocery list! And poor Buck...many of our recent conversations went something like this...Buck: "Belle, I'm going to get dressed, put Brady down for his nap, grab the laundry on my way out, and then head to the commissary." Me: "Okay Husband. But, why don't you get dressed before you put B down to save time?" Buck: "That's what I just said." What is it about pregnancy hormones that totally screw with your brain?! Other days, I feel like I might totally lose my mind. The weather has been HORRIBLE this winter and I have a serious case of cabin fever that at times feels like it borders on seasonal depression. The other day the sun came out for a few hours and I seriously considered lying naked on the sidewalk to absorb maximum rays. However, I didn't think my neighbors would appreciate that, and that they might call the Coast Guard to return the beached whale to the water, so instead I found a little spot on the couch where the sun came through the windows and sunned myself, much like a cat.

Attitude: One of gratitude and appreciation. I am so thankful that God has answered our many prayers and held little Noah off for the last 3 1/2 weeks. I am grateful for a little boy who is patient and loving and seemed to understand that Mommy had to take care of herself and the baby. I know it had to be hard for him, but he never let on. Every day, he was full of life and energy and laughter, which is probably the only thing that kept me laughing. And finally, I'm thankful beyond words for a husband who picked up ALL of the slack and never once complained! I know he was stressed and overworked every night when he came home. I wouldn't have blamed him if he complained every night. He'd just taken on a new responsibility with a new command. He'd come home, start dinner, play with B, get him ready for bed, put him down, clean the kitchen and pick up all of the toys. On the weekends, he'd have to do all of that plus the grocery shopping, and cleaning, and laundry! I'm so blessed to have a husband who was happy to do it all!


Now, I'm just trying to relax and enjoy the little time we have left before making some big adjustments. We can't wait to see Noah's little face and kiss his sweet cheeks! That day will come sooner that later!

34 Weeks

I thought I'd do a quick update on this seemingly never ending pregnancy journey...which now that I can't get off of the couch, seems longer than never ending!

There will be no picture with this post. Since I'm on partial bed rest, that means I don't get out of my p.j.'s and my hair doesn't come out of it's pony tail. I do, however, still brush my teeth.

Here's the lowdown...

Weight gain: Let's not even go there! I will say that since Christmas, I haven't had much of an appetite, so I haven't gained any more since then. And I suppose I should be happy with the numbers, since they're considerably lower than with Brady...at this point with him, I was gaining about 2 lbs. per week!

Stretch Marks: All I can say is I must have some awesome elasticity to my skin! I don't know how any body could expand this much (or as much as it did with Brady) and not have a single stretch mark, but it doesn't. Thanks Mom & Dad for the great genes!

Belly Button: Still sittin' tight as an innie! This makes me happier than you know! :)

Clothes: My tops seem to be shrinking! Good thing I only need to wear p.j.'s for the next couple of weeks!

Sleep: Not so much. Although, this has improved since getting the Ambien.

Labor Signs: Unwanted, painful, much too regular contractions that have sent me to labor & delivery twice in the last week. Apparently, my body wants to expel my child. Thankfully, he's stubborn and isn't coming just yet.

Baby Movement: Oh, yeah! This kid thinks he's on Soul Train!

Cravings: Like I said, not much of an appetite. I have worse cravings when I'm not pregnant.

What I Miss Most: It's a toss up. (1) Living without burning stomach muscle pain and searing back spasms. (2) My waist.

Empty, But For This

For several months now, Noah's furniture has been sitting in his empty room. We're mere weeks away from his arrival, and it's still sitting in an empty room.

The problem is that the German and European style is VERY different from anything you'd find back in the states. The furniture is not German, it's from our furniture store here.

So, we can find nothing to coordinate in order to decorate his walls. Aside from sending my poor mother to Hobby Lobby with this picture or trying to match things up online there's not much I can do. I'm not too worried about it since we'll be moving back to the states this summer.

I'm planning a Hobby Lobby trip within the first few days of being home!

However, I did order drapes from Penny's and this, his bedding. I'm completely in love with it. It's soft and elegant and the little leap frogs add just a touch of whimsy. It looks so right in that little crib.

Now, we just need that sweet little baby in there to make it complete.