Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful Easter weekend with family!  Here are a few highlights:

 Caca, Jojo and Claire 

I love this dress!  Meme and Papa gave it to me the day I found out we were having a girl.  It will be cherished always.

4 generations of Elizabeth's:

Elizabeth (Betty) Hall Bunch Walker

Elizabeth Walker Holmes

Grace Elizabeth Holmes Carter

Claire Elizabeth Carter

Family photo session

Uncle Kurt, Aunt Amanda and Claire

Claire also turned 1 month old the Saturday before Easter.  She is getting so big, SO FAST!  

April Storms

This has been the stormiest spring that I can ever remember.  Because of this, Claire and I spent most of the month of April at mom and dad's house close to the basement.  One particular storm (the worst one) Claire and I rode it out in my car in the carport and I watched these trees fall into the backyard before I decided to take retreat inside the garage.  If it had fallen about 15 yards to the left it would have landed on the garage where Claire and I were taking refuge.  Eeek!

What did Claire think of all this (as I was hovering over her in the garage)?  Well, she slept through the whole thing, totally unalarmed.

Claire Elizabeth

Trey and I welcome Claire Elizabeth Carter.  She was born on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at 2:11p.m.  She weighed 7 pds 11 oz and was 20 in long.  It was a very long, hard labor but was absolutely worth every second once that little angel was born!

We are beyond blessed to have a healthy, sweet, beautiful baby girl!   

Luck of the Irish?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I'm thinking today would be a great day to have a baby... but I've been thinking that everyday for over a week now.  However, the Carter's are Irish and my favorite color is green... so maybe we'll get lucky.  All the grandparents are banking on the full moon this weekend.  I guess we shall see.  I am officially 5 days from my due date and I am feeling it!  Baby C is a big girl... weighing approximately 8 pds or more at this point.  We are so ready to meet this sweet, chunky monkey!

I am on Spring Break (praise the Lord... not sure how good I would be at entertaining 20- 4 and 5 year olds) and the weather is GORGEOUS!  Today the high is 75 degrees... doesn't get much better.  I have already walked for a good while and now I think I'm going to grab my book and head out to my adirondack chair and relax.

39 weeks 3 days

Dear Baby C

It is 4 weeks until your due date and you still do not have a name.  I do know when we figure it out, it will be perfect and made for you.  Once again, I am going to try to do better with my blog, because I want it to be a keepsake for you and I... one that cannot be lost, burned or taken away.  It will be forever in internet land and we can read it now until the end of time (I think).

Like I said, it is 4 weeks until your due date and your daddy and I are so excited and anxious in waiting for your arrival we can hardly stand it!  Your room is ready, you have more clothes and necessities than we know what to do with, and you are one busy girl in my belly.  And what has made us even more excited to meet you is that we were able to see you through an ultrasound that was pretty cool.  You weren't bothered a bit throughout it, sleeping the whole time.  You have the sweetest, prettiest face your daddy and I have ever seen!  We are so deeply in love with you already!

The past few months have been very busy getting ready for the big day.  Here's a little recap of what's been happening.

Christmas 27 1/2 weeks pregnant

Aunt Amanda, Caca, Mama on Christmas Day eating yummy food!

Big T and Mama on Christmas Day

The day we went to get your baby furniture.  Can you tell we are tired and cranky?

2011 has been a very cold and snowy winter.  I have enjoyed all the snow days!

Daddy and I went to Nevada to visit Hayden,  Chatham and Aunt Allison when I was 31 weeks pregnant and Chatham was 3 weeks old.

Your nursery is ready and waiting on you.  

Meme, Mama, and Big Mama at your first baby shower.

Diaper cake and gifts at one of your showers.

Isn't that cake cute?

Your aunts and cousins at your baby shower with daddy's family.  Mama was 35 1/2 weeks pregnant.

And here you are, beautiful girl!

Look at that sweet, precious smile!

I love you sweet girl and can't wait for your arrival!  You have already changed our lives in such a wonderful way and I know it will only get better from here on!  

Love, Mom

The Joys of Painting

I absolutely love to paint.  Seriously.  I am still amazed how paint can transform a room.  My mother, mother-in-law and I painted every square inch of the Little Blue House (walls, ceiling, trim, doors, etc...), as well as strip down layers and layers of wall paper.  I love old houses... the stories that you uncover while renovating... wow.  

So I have been chomping at the bit to paint Lil' C's nursery.  Hubby and I moved all our office furniture to what was sun room/craft/painting room last weekend, so I could paint over Fall Break.  I didn't waste any time getting to work.  I have had intentions from the very beginning to do a gender neutral room (leaning more toward "boy" colors... I am not a girlie girl), even though we are finding out the sex.  This has perplexed a lot of people.  Even if they don't actually say it (unlike my bestie, who said, "You know if it's a girl, you will totally have to re-do this room."  Love you J.B.), they most certainly have a confused look on their face. Well, I'm not going to re-do.  I like what I like and that's the end of it.  

Below are the before pictures of the wall.  I love this color (Benjamin Moore, Lenox Tan).  We used it in a few other rooms, too.

And here are the after pictures.  I had intentionally wanted the walls to be a light grey color.  It turned out  light blue with a very little hint of grey.  It will do.  No actually, I really love it.  It is very peaceful and serene.  Just what a itty bitty baby needs, along with mommy and daddy.  There will be plenty of pops of color elsewhere.

Is this little Molly Dog not precious!  You can find it here on Etsy.  This was the very first purchase I made when I found out I was pregnant.  It has been my inspiration.  I love all the happy colors.

Below here is the color palette, give or take a little on the shade.  The curtains are going to be the cute kiwi dog print and the pop of red is going to be the glider.  

Happy Weekend!

My Kinda Morning

(Molly Girl last winter next to her heater.  She is her momma's girl, no doubt.)

Coffee.  Ryder Cup.  Big Chair.  Plug-in Heater.  Need I say more?  Oh yeah, most importantly, no school due to Fall Break.