OH MY THE PAST TWO WEEKS

The past two weeks have been crazy crazy busy in our house. It seems like Carter has become more brave about everything he does. I opened the oven one night last week and he came running up behind and touched the oven door. It burned his little arm. He didn't cry but I did. He has not acted like it bothered him. I guess I will be FORCED to listen to my mom when she says "get out that pack and play and PUT HIM IN IT!". I have never done that because I just felt like I wanted him to be free to run around and explore! I learned my lesson for sure. My biggest fear is I don't want it to scar. I have been putting a RX cream on it so hopefully it won't. DHR COME GET ME.. I"M HERE NOW

In the evenings when I get home we have been playing alot outside on his little four wheeler and his dinosar that you can ride. I remember my nephew riding the four wheeler because Corey and I had bought it for him when he turned 1. I could not believe Carter was big enough to ride it and push the button. TIME FLIES! Not only does he like to ride these toys but he likes to stand up on them! He is going to be be the death of me. I am sure of it.

The past two weeks have been so busy that I just find it hard to even relax when I go to bed. I go to bed thinking of everything that has to be accomplished the next day and what has to be done BEFORE Carter wakes up in the a.m. Sometimes it makes me a little stressed. The highlight of last week (for those of you who know I love to find a cheap deal especially with my coupons) was I purchased Purex w/Zout at Target for $1.99. YES I AM EXCITED! hahaha!!!

I am sure we all find that sometimes when our friends have worries, struggles, burdens etc. we find that it hurts us so badly to see them hurting it almost becomes our burden. I have lots of friends with needs right now. My prayers at night lately have been different.. Not that I don't pray for God to give them wisdom to make the right decisions but for them to have peace about every decision they have to make. I know I can't but he can. Goodnight!

Weekend Family Trip=lost silky blanket

We took a family trip to see April and Jacob Hickman in Greenville, South Carolina this past weekend. I was a little nervous about the 7 hour drive with Carter. He played and watched tv, took two naps, and only whined for a total of 20 minutes. I was SO PROUD!!!!! Next I was worried about how he was going to sleep. He slept all night in his pack and play!! I was very thankful!

Our plans on Friday were to visit the zoo in Greenville but it was chilly and cold. We did meet April at work and had lunch downtown. We were able to see the bedding that April has chosen for little Emma Lynn. I loved it! Friday night we had dinner downtown and Carter was entertained watching everybody in the restaraunt.

Carter loved playing with Gidget and Izzy.. the dogs of course!

Saturday it rained all day but luckily we had planned to stay inside and possibly visit the children's museum. Carter decided he would take a 4 hour nap which knocked out the children's museum but allowed the adults to watch 2 movies!!! Due Date was pretty funny. Enjoyed my relaxing time. Jacob cooked his homemade sphagetti and meatballs that night. We visited Buy Buy Baby where Carter had his blue silky blanket. he played with the toys etc. and I did not know until later we did not leave with the blanket. Corey dislikes the "security" blanket so he was glad we lost it until bedtime!

Buy Buy Baby had nobody turn a blue silky blanket in:(

April came to the rescue with one that is for Emma Lynn when she arrives!! I am going to have to send it back when Carter receives his new one! He went to school today showing his teacher his blanket which is PINK !!!!

We are trying to decide the best ways to start disciplining Carter when he does something wrong. I used to spank his hands but now he has started spanking me back. Any suggestions? I am thinking a small switch or paint stick.. and possibly a time out mat. We might try both. Whatever it is I want it to be consistent so that he knows it is unacceptable. ??????

proud once again of myself for updating the blog-Lauren

Wow.. it's been a long time

It's been such a LONG LONG time since I have blogged. I feel a little lost but guess I will recap...:)

We just celebrated Carter's 1st Birthday in January! I truly cannot believe how much time flies. My sweet little "baby" is turning into such a big boy. We had lots of friends and family to celebrate. I need to post the pictures I took from his party but I just cannot find the time. I take that statement back.. I just don't make time like I have not been making time to blog.

Carter started walking the week of his first birthday. It is so cute to see a little baby walking and trying to run. His favorite thing is to push his bean bag over to the ottoman and climb up so he can get on top. Sometime he is too smart for both Corey and I. After receiving many "Yo Gabba Gabba" DVD's for his birthday, I decided we should take on a new show. We started watching Mickey Mouse Clubhouse. At the end of every episode they sing this song "Hot Diggity Dog". Our new favorite thing to do is dance to it and sing. Carter loves it and just bounces and sings. I Love it.

After turning 1 we did several other things. We no longer take a bottle, no more formula, and no milk before bedtime. That's alot of stuff. He adjusted more easily that I thought and now before bed we read books. Tonight he brought the Veggie Tales "God Made Me Special". I think he only brought it because it has a button that plays music of course! I love our books at night time and nap time.

On a professional note.. My Clinique Counters make me so proud to work with such amazing and talented people. I mean that. They are the reason we are the #1 brand in North America both Prestige and Mass. Many times I am overwhelmed with the whole work-family balance. I have learned that I was a work-a-holic before Carter and now my priorities are different and I cannot be a work-a-holic anymore. It's hard at times but I have learned to shut the email down at a much earlier time but am still able to give my teams what they need. PROUD PROUD of myself. I really felt guilty for awhile.

I am looking forward to a little family getaway, just the 3 of us to Greenville, SC this week. We are going to visit the bestie April and her hubby Jacob. We plan on baby shopping, helping pick a paint color, and checking out the new renovation on the house. Corey, Carter and I should have a blast for a few days away.

The best part (not for me, but for Corey) of this past week before I shut down the blog.. Corey has watched WrestleMania since he was young. He still records it and occasionally watches it. I have NEVER liked it and it does not interest me whatsoever. I do not know anyone on that show! Some friends asked us to go to Atlanta in April because WrestleMania was going to be there. I decided that since Corey suffers through the beach at least twice a year for me, I could go to WrestleMania for him. For those of you who know me well, this is a HUGE sacrifice for me. I will survive. Why not spend my 5 year anniversary at WRESTLEMANIA right??????????????? Goodnight!

Closing in on Carter

After finding out Carter was a boy, and admitting to my Dr. and Whitney (the ultrasound girl who had been through the long journey of infertility with us), I had to start shopping obviously because I had no boy items. It's ironic though because 3 1/2 years ago I went to a consignment with my mother-in-law to shop for my nephew who was not born yet. I picked up a white bubble that looked to be handmade and put it in my closet and held onto it thinking one day I might just have a boy. It's a good thing I kept it!

My blood pressure was high my entire pregnancy so I had to be put on medicine for it. At 30 weeks the dr. took me off work and told me it was I was on limited bedrest. I didn't really ask what that was but I asked the girls at the checkout what that means. They of course asked him and it just so happened to be the week of Thanksgiving. The response they came back with was "NO shopping". I never get to shop Black Friday because of working always and I couldn't even do it now. All of you know I cheated. Amber picked me up about 10 in the Tahoe on Black Friday and we hit up Kirklands!

I did take it easy for those next few weeks and did obey every order that the dr. gave me. I was off work for the first holiday season in a long time! I missed work because Holiday Season is my favorite time of the year at work. So much to execute, time crunch, and it only lasts like 5 weeks.

The next 9 weeks seemed to fly by. I'll continue later at 35 weeks.

Thinking Carter was a girl

I thought I was having a girl only because I kept finding all these great buys on little girl things. I am in a different Belk store every day and I would find little play clothes for $1 and just couldn't pass it up. I think that was the thing that convinced me it was a girl.

The first time we saw Carter and heard his heartbeat was at 6 weeks. I remember telling the nurse Christine to convince Corey it was a girl. I guess I just wanted a girl. Little bows and dresses and sandals just seemed so fun at the time.

Needless to say, Carter was a boy. I cheated and had Alisha do my ultrasound early so that I would know before the Girlfriend's beach trip. The first little boy thing I bought was at the Wharf in Orange Beach. He just wore it last week and I could barely fit it over his head. Poor thing.

I told Corey on the way home from the hospital that I wanted all boys. Forget the girls!

My next post will be longer I promise. And this is all I can remember about thinking it was a girl.. :)

The journey to Carter

Since Carter is almost 6 months and I am new to blogging I guess I will go back and write about "before" Carter.

It wasn't that I didn't want children but I always knew that I could be happy without them. We could always pick up and go on a weekend trip, come home late, just do whatever we pleased. Corey wanted a baby from DAY 1, so I knew I was not going to get out of this very easy:) After being married about 2 1/2 years we decided it was probably the time to start a family. I knew I was going to have a hard time getting pregnant anyway and really thought I might never be able to.

My doctor started my fertility treatment in July 2008. After 4 months of clomid, 2 months of clomid w/Menopur injections, 3 months Menopur injections alone, and 1 month of Femara w/Menopur inejctions WE WERE PREGNANT!!! Thanks to a fantastic OBGYN and Huntsville Reproductive Medicine!! It was a long journey but I think Corey and I appreciate doctors and their expertise more everyday because of it.

I remember the day we found out we were pregnant. It was a Sunday afternoon the first weekend in May (I think). We had been watching the Duggar family (which Corey despises) and had watched their oldest son and his wife talk about how they found out they were pregnant. Well we needed to go to Sams for paper towels and for anyone that knows me I hate to be out of PAPER TOWELS!! Corey jumped in the shower and I just decided it would be funny to take a preg test and set it on the sink (like the Duggars) . I told Corey to just tell me what it said. About 10 minutes later he came into the living room and said "I think you need to take another one" I kept asking why and he just said come look. The funniest part is he didn't have his contacts in and said he had to look at the stick like 5 times to make sure he was reading it right!! haha We were pregnant. WOW!

So we didn't want to tell our families just yet. But I was DYING to tell somebody. I decided to tell my friend Brandi (since she gave me those Menopur injections EVERY night and Kaylee and Laynee begged her to let them give them to me. NO THANK YOU girls! ) and made Corey tell her husband Jeremy. The rule was we were only allowed to tell 1 person each. Well the next weekend we were out of town for my friend Amybeth's birthday in Nashville. Gabe, AmyB, Corey and I had dinner and we gave Amybeth a card and told her she was going to be an AUNT!! She cried and we had a great weekend. Remember-families still don't know yet!

One more week and we told our parents and grandparents with receiving blankets that were embroidered with "Grandbaby Richardson and Great-Grandbaby Richardson". Carter sleeps with one every night.

The secret was out finally, everybody was ecstatic, and I just knew it was a GIRL.. TO BE CONTINUED

First Blog

So I am totally new to this Blogging thing but thought it might help me even though I try to keep a journal of everything going on because as people say "TIME FLIES WHEN YOU HAVE CHILDREN".

I am a little sad that I have not started this sooner but we will see how it goes. Carter's Grandaddy bought him a toy today and it was his first Elmo. My friend Melia said "don't ever get them started on Elmo or you will never get rid of Elmo". I hope this is not the beginning to something that will not end until he is 5. He does love it however and pulls it over his face and giggles.

Over the past few weeks Carter has decided that when he wakes up in the mornings or from a nap that he plays and talks to himself for a little while before actually crying for Corey or I to come get him. I walked in there yesterday morning and he had both feet in the air playing. I love it. I will post a pic later.

It's hard to believe 2 years ago we thought we may never have babies and now we are blessed with the most precious little boy. What was life like without this little angel?

I hope this blog helps me remember the little things I may forget in the future.

GOODNIGHT!!