Happy Fall Y'all!

Fall is here and I am loving the cooler weather.  I love spending time by the pool and at the beach but I really love fall too!  I guess I like a few things about each season.  Well, I haven't updated lately but it's been quite a busy past 4 weeks in the Carlton household.  Heading back to work, taking an online class at TCC, and weekend trips--I haven't had much time to sit down and blog!

I went back to work at the beginning of September and what a difficult transition.  Leaving your little one for the first time is never easy and I don't think it will ever get easy but you learn to roll with the punches.  And let me tell you...3:30 pm--I'm heading home for my baby!  It's nice to know he's in great hands and it's also a wonderful feeling coming home to such a cute smiling face.  School has been good though--I'm enjoying my kiddos this year and I guess I didn't forget how to teach!

Little man is 5 months old now.  He is eating solids and well--LOVES it!  He doesn't let us forget to feed him and he has def. not missed a meal yet!  He's a growing boy!  He is sitting up on his own and scoots around when he's laying down!  It's amazing how fast they grow up--I continue to ask myself where the time went.  He had a small cold last week so we took him to the doctor and he weighs about 16 lbs. 11 oz. as of now!  

We went on a mini 4 day weekend get away to Hilton Head with Craig's family and we had a good time.  It was so nice to see family from Germany and spend time with our god daughter.  Liam was not a huge fan of the beach but he LOVED the pool!  He was also a TROOPER for spending 8 hours in the car!  We had a great time!

Pool Time

What Day Is It?!?

It's HUMP day!  Yes, my family is obsessed with the "Hump Day" commercial.  I was awoken this morning by my father calling to recite the commercial to me!  I'm apart of quite a comical group of people!  I am probably different than most people because...well...I'm NOT excited that it's hump day!  This is my last week with my little munchkin and it's going by WAY too fast!  It's hard to believe that 4 1/2 months ago I felt like I had forever and I'm still not sure where the time went!  We have an AMAZING nanny that will be keeping him so I know he's in good hands but honestly--who wouldn't want to spend every day with this little one?

Okay--enough of the sappy stuff! We have a 4 Month Old!  We can't believe it!  I'm a little late with the post but our little one was 4 months old on August 7th!  Time sure is flying by but we're enjoying watching him grow and learn so much! We even have a little roller on our hands and a little one eating solids!!

We've been busy as we always are--I don't think there has been one post where we haven't been busy and have something on our plate.  Craig went on a Mission Trip to Ohio at the beginning of August to help build a church with a group of people from our church.  He really had a great time but Liam and I missed him terribly and couldn't wait until he got home!

We were able to take our first Family Vacation of Three and it was just a mini get away!  We went to the Great Wolf Lodge in Williamsburg with my family!  We really had a good time and Liam really enjoyed being with his cousin and being in the water--kicking his feet and smiling up a storm!

Craig also had his first car show here in Chesapeake and he really enjoying showing off his Mustang!  He even won a "Sponsorship Award"!  

Overall we have had a great summer and really enjoyed being able to spend so much time together!  Being BUSY isn't all that bad--it's normally FUN stuff that we're enjoying!  From road trips to all of Liam's firsts--we're a busy little family of three!  Especially when momma goes back to work--when will the laundry get done?!?!?  That we will all have to figure out! 

A Very "Special Day"

We had an exciting weekend in the Carlton Household!  My BFF tied the knot in Virginia Beach on Saturday and what a beautiful wedding it was!  She was such a gorgeous bride!  From the rehearsal dinner to the reception--everything was PERFECT!  I was so honored to be apart of her special day! It was great to see so many good friends!  Memories were made and lots of fun was had by all!  Here are a few pictures of the beautiful celebration!

Rehearsal Dinner Fun

Hubs and Myself

Beautiful Bride!

Sisters!

Beautiful!

Newlyweds First Dance

Dancing the night away!

Looooved seeing these beautiful ladies!

It was also my first time leaving Liam over night but we all made it!  Daddy made sure to keep me updated on all of their happenings while I was getting ready for my BFF's special day!  He did a great job with our little man and I was so excited to kiss Liam's chunky little cheeks when I got home! I'm so proud of Craig for doing it all on his own!

Since the fourth of July we have been able to relax a little and spend some family time at the pool!  Liam even got in the water for the FIRST time!  We had a blast and it was fun to see him kicking his feet and loving the pool! We're looking forward to many more weekends and fun times at the pool!

Liam's First Time At The Pool

Happy Birthday America!

Happy 4th of July!

Hello July

June has come and gone and July has arrived!  Wow, summer is already flying by!  July is an exciting month for us!  Liam turns 3 months old, my BFF is tying the knot, wonderful friends are coming to town, and we get to celebrate our 1st fourth of July with our little nugget!

Liam is quickly approaching 3 months and he is continuing to change every day.  Our poor little man has his first cold--congested and a terrible cough!  We're keeping close watch on him and saying many prayers to make sure his cough doesn't turn into anything serious!  Even though he doesn't feel well he is still in high spirits--talking, smiling, playing, and well---still eating all the time!

 Our little sick boy

My BFF is about to tie the knot in just 12 days!  I'm so excited for her and counting down until the party begins!  I'm so excited to be apart of her big day and am looking forward to seeing all my sorority sisters too--it sure will be a good time!

Bride to Be!

Fun Bridal Party?! I think so!

Sorority Sisterssssss!

Happy July, Y'all!

Summer, Summer, Summertime

Needless to say I've been a little distracted from blogging and keeping you all updated on the Carlton happenings.  I guess I could say Liam is keeping me busy and not leaving time for blog updates!  Time is flying and I can't believe today is the first day of SUMMER!  It's a bittersweet feeling this go round. I'm super excited for the warm sunshine but know that with every passing day it's one day closer to me returning to work.

A lot has happened since the last blog post.  Liam is now 2 months old and we're still falling more in love with him every day!  At his two month appointment he weighed 11 lbs 14 oz. and was 23 1/8 inches long.  He will be 11 weeks on Sunday and i'm not sure where the time has gone.  He smiles ALL the time and really loves to "talk" to us!  He is evening sneaking a little laugh in there once in a while!  He is also sleeping from about 10 pm until 7 am!  We have been so lucky at how good of a sleeper Liam is! He also is quite the eater!  He's a big boyyy and we're loving every moment with him!

Craig has been working second shift so we've been enjoying our days with him but missing him come dinner time!  We're hoping he's coming close to being done with this job so we can get back to our normal schedule and dinner time won't be so lonely for Liam and I (we've been able to spend lots of time with Nana and his Auntie though).  Although it's thrown us from our normal schedule, we've been able to get some things in during the day--strawberry picking, beach days, and pool days!  We've had a great start to the summer!

Brookdale Strawberry Patch

Liam's first beach day

We also celebrated our first mother and father's day!  We're truly blessed by this little one!  On Mother's Day Liam was dedicated at church!  It was so great to have all of our family with us during this special occasion! 

My 1st Mother's Day

Daddy's 1st Father's Day

Liam's Dedication

I've signed my contract for the 2013-2014 school year so it's back to Kindergarten I go come August 26th--yes, I know the exact date because i'm already dreading it!  I'm enjoying every moment with my little one before it's back to work for me!

Craig and I just had our 3rd Anniversary!  My how time has flew and how things have changed in the past three years!  It's been a wonderful journey for us and we're looking forward to many more!

Happy summer and I hope you all enjoy the beautiful weather!

One Month Already?!?

Where has the last month gone?  When people say your children grow up before your eyes--they are not kidding.  I cannot believe one month has come and gone.  Craig and I's life has quickly changed into diaper changes, feedings, and getting home before "bedtime."  It's amazing how your life can change in just a matter of a moment but it has been one change Craig and I have fallen in love with.

Liam was one month old on May 7th!  We still can't believe how much he has changed in just 4 short weeks!  In the last month he has started to smile at us when we talk to him.  It's such a joy to see your little one smile at you when he hears your voice.  Liam is also trying to hold his head up for a little bit at a time.  He has not fully mastered it but he's getting close!  Just in the past few days he has learned he can make a few noises and at times will give us a little "coo" here and there! 

We also ventured out one beautiful day in the last month to go to the zoo.  Liam's first trip to the zoo was wonderful.  It was nice for me to get out and walk around somewhere other than our neighborhood--it was a great change of scenery for us!  Liam slept the whole time! 

We sure are enjoying our little bundle of joy (especially because he sleeps 5-6 hours at a time during the night)!  We are so blessed!  It still amazes us how "perfect" he is and he's already brought so much joy and love into our lives.  I have a feeling his daddy may spoil him rotten.  I hope to blog more of our family happenings but wow--I do not have as much time as I thought I would have.  I guess I should have not been nervous about "being bored" -- there's never a dull moment!  Until next time, I'll leave you with a few newborn pictures we had done!  

..And Baby Makes Three

Liam Aaron finally made his appearance after 17 long hours of labor.  Liam Aaron arrived on April 7, 2013 at 1:45 am in the morning via C-Section.  He was 8 lbs. 11 oz. and 21.5 inches long.  Craig and I waited very patiently for his arrival and we were both thrilled that he was such a healthy little man and we fell in love the moment we set eyes on him.

Our first family photo.

We have been home a week now and we couldn't be happier with our new bundle of joy.  We've definitely had to adjust to a whole NEW lifestyle but it's totally worth it.  Our life has changed drastically and we must say we are loving it.

Liam has already been to his first doctors appointment and he was GREAT!  Liam also has already been on his first road trip to Lake Gaston to see family--we must say it was interesting getting everything ready to go somewhere with a new baby but it was so nice to get away.

Ready to hit the roaddd.

Needless to say we are all doing great and enjoying our time as a new family of three.  Craig is back to work and I am adjusting to doing the mommy thing all by myself--so far so good!  We look forward to Craig getting off work each and every day and well...rest whenever we can!!!!  

Thanks for all the congrats and wonderful things you all have done for us! We cannot thank you enough for everything!!! Stay tuned for more updates on our growing little one!

Hello April!

Goodbye March...Hello April!  I cannot believe that we are already into April..with no baby!  A lot has happened in the past week and needless to say- Craig and I are still waiting for our little Liam to arrive! (I was not prepared to be large and in charge after 40 weeks....but we are still chugging along!)

I'll start with the BABY UPDATE:  We had a doctors appointment yesterday for 40 1/2 weeks and well..I have progressed but not enough to have put me into labor yet.  The doctor decided to go ahead and schedule an induction for Saturday morning--if he does not come before then.  Liam could still come on his own in the next few days but if not, Liam will be here by Saturday afternoon/evening!  We would love for him to come on his own but are also excited we have an end in sight and know we'll be meeting our little one in just a matter of days!  We are getting so excited!

We made it....and then some!

I made it to the end of time teaching this school year!  It was touch and go for a little while; wondering if I would make it to the end or not but Liam decided to hold on until I made it through the end of the nine weeks.  Friday was my last day at Green Run Elementary for the school year and Thursday was my last day with my kinderbabies;  it was a bittersweet feeling.  I sure will miss them but I know they are in good hands! Now it's time to get ready for little Liam and get ready to spend the next few months enjoying my little one!

Easter was wonderful and very laid back.  We were not sure whether or not we'd be in the hospital having a baby so we did very little planning for Easter this year.  The Easter Bunny did make a visit to our house and left Liam a basket but--Liam was not here to enjoy it!   I guess he'll enjoy all his goodies once he arrives!  We went to church and had lunch with my family.  After our delicious lunch made by my mom we came home, relaxed, and watched a movie on the couch!

The Easter Bunny Came!

Our Family!

And last but not least...we can finally share that my sister is having baby number two!  We are super excited for the arrival of another niece/nephew in October 2013!  Liam is going to have two amazing cousins and one very close in age!  It's going to be awesome watching them grow up together and become such good friends. Sooo...CONGRATS to Heather and Kyle!  We can't wait to find out if Baby Roemmich will be a boy or a girl! 

Big Belly and Little Belly!

Needless to say we have a VERY exciting 2013 and I cannot wait to share Liam with you all when he arrives in just a few days!

Happy April!