DuBlog

Grateful for Great Family

2011-08-24T22:45:00.002-05:00

This will be the final post about our recent lake vacation. I just wanted to post the family photos that we took on our trip. Considering the squirmies in the photos, the shots are pretty great! We had a great vacation and we really appreciate all of the time and effort (and money) that went into planning our vacation...Thanks Emmie and DV! The memories we make every year help create a wonderful and magical childhood for the kids and we all have fun along the way! Thanks so much!!

DuBroc family photo

DuBroc, Voss, Covington Family Photo

Life Long Friends

2011-08-24T15:55:00.005-05:00

While we were at Lake LBJ, our friend Morgan and her two kiddos came to spend some time with us. I have known Morgan literally since I was born--our parents have been great friends for years and years and years. It is so cool to see our kids together. Jack and Carter were fast friends. They had a blast throwing rocks into the lake and playing with swords at the house. They had a camp out under the covers on the bed and swam in the lake. Charlotte and Bryn played together a little, but the girls were a little shier than the boys. I love that no matter how long it has been, Morgan and I can pick up like we saw each other last week. If only we could do it more often!

Charlotte, Carter, Sloan, Jack and Brynn

Safari Zoo

2011-08-24T15:22:00.013-05:00

Every year while we are at Lake LBJ we have visited the safari zoo in Johnson City. It was very hot this year and very dry. The animals were not as plentiful, but the kids were amazed. We rode around in a trailer and fed animals including zebras, ostriches, buffalo, deer, goats and a camel. The exciting moment of the trip occurred when a llama spit on us (mostly Vaughn). It was brown and stinky! My cousin Aubrey warned everyone that llamas spit, but we did not understand until that moment exactly what she meant. Here are some photos:

Llamas...they spit

The Dubs at the Zoo

Vaughn and Charlotte at the zoo (she said the buffalo was "scary")

Carter LOVES this place...can you tell?

Lake LBJ Vacation

2011-08-24T14:58:00.004-05:00

So, summer school has ended and I survived! After finishing my classes and taking a few days to pack and prepare...we headed to the lake! Our family, the Covingtons (my sister's family) and my parents, aunt and cousin all stayed in a lake house on Lake LBJ for a week. What a great way to spend my break from school and to beat the heat (a little). It was so much fun to be on the water and to stay up talking after the kids went to bed. The kids all thought that they were in heaven when so many people that they love were there every morning when they woke up. The kids had so much fun playing with noisy bowls and spoons from the kitchen and just running around. Here are some photos from our trip.

Cousin Jam Session

Vaughn, Carter and Charlotte on the boat...She is not a natural!

Carter and Sloan playing trucks

Sloan: Post playing trucks with Carter...check out the dress

Busy Weekend!

2011-07-18T10:37:00.005-05:00

This weekend was busy...but I must say that I prefer busy to stuck in the house any day! On Saturday morning, Carter and I went to Will Hayward's birthday party. Carter had so much fun and the boys played so well together. They were both filthy and swampy by the end of it--evidence of a great time! After the party, we went home to regroup and rest a little....then all four of us headed to a little Baylor reunion. There are six of us girls who were great friends in college and so we try to keep in touch with at least one get together a year. All together now with husbands and kids, there are over 20 of us. Amanda and Paul invited everyone over for dinner and it was a lot of fun. It is so cool to see all of our kids play together. We got to meet three new baby boys and see how much the older kids have grown. Paul's barbeque was amazing--a highlight of the night for sure. One of my other favorite moments...I went to check on Carter who was playing with Hudson (5) and they were on the bed reading a Toy Story book. I asked if they were okay and Hudson said "We are having a boys' night" and implied that I needed to leave as I am a girl. It was so cute! It was great to see the girls. It is so natural for us to just be together without having to completely catch up or stay in touch all year. It was great to have such fun things to do all weekend...but I must admit, it made it harder to want to spend time studying! Here are a few photos!

Carter and Will on the slide

Carter and Will--Pool Toy Hoarders

The girls trying to get the kids to cooperate...classic!

Success...sort of!

The Baylor Girls...Lauren, Amanda, Kat, Me, Tifani and Jessica

A Fun (and Very Hot) Afternoon at the Zoo

2011-07-12T22:41:00.002-05:00

My cousin Aubrey and I took the kids to the zoo this afternoon. It was HOT! Aubrey and I were sweating as soon as we got there and of course Carter was a sweat ball immediately. Our first priority was visiting the rhinos as Carter missed them on our last trip. I took a photo, but since the rhino was settled in the shade, my photo is a big shadow with a blurry horn. We saw other large mammals like the camels and the llamas. Aubrey taught Carter that llamas spit and how to make a llama with his hand. We saw the tigers and some of the monkeys. Aubrey hadn't seen the new Wilds of Africa exhibit so we walked through the tunnel (a highlight for Carter) to see the giraffes, elephants, zebras and then the lions. We had given up on seeing them when a lady told us to come into the restaurant because the lions were laying against the windows. It was so cool--there were four lions cuddling in the window at the level of both kiddos. Charlotte roared at them from the stroller. After all of our walking and sweating, we headed to the Children's zoo for some water time. What a relief for all of us! For the record, I conceded to let Carter ride a pony and then discovered that Tuesday is the designated rest day for the ponies...broke his little heart! I had to be the bad guy just because I tried to be the good guy! Here are some photos from our day.

So...this is what I got out of my kiddos when I asked them to pose together...Awesome!

Charlotte in the water at the Children's Zoo--
Yes, I have tucked up her dress to show-off the swim diaper!

Carter the Dinosaur in the water--ROAR!

Aubrey is playing with the kids in the water--Charlotte thinks Aubrey is FUNNY!

Carter the Turtle...What A Face!

Red, White, Black and Blue

2011-07-06T20:26:00.004-05:00

Hello All! I hope that all four of you who may read this had a great holiday weekend. We had a busy and super fun weekend with family and friends. I think that my kids ate hotdogs for at least three days straight!! On Sunday we went to my cousin's house and had a great time with the Vosses, but alas I took no photos! On Monday, we watched the neighborhood parade and hung out at the picnic at the park for a while. Carter was so excited about the bounce houses. Everyone came back to our house for lunch and some baby swimming time. Here are some photos from the day. We had such a great day!

Charlotte with MamaDu and PapaDu--watching the parade and trying to keep Char happy!

Carter and Pumpkin (Beau and Jessica's dog) at the parade...Carter has a "rocket" taped to his back ala Buzz Lightyear if you are questioning the blue tape.

Sloan, Stella and Charlotte...sitting still, but not so smiley (especially Charlotte)!!! What patriotic outfits and accessories!

Charlotte insisted on wearing her necklace in the pool--such a girlie!

As for the "black" in our Red, White, Black and Blue" weekend...Here is a photo of Charlotte's first real injury. It is not really a black eye, but scab is not a very poetic word. All by her self without any help or major accident, Charlotte simply tripped while walking in the den and caught the corner of the coffee table with her face. I must say that I am relieved that this happened on my second child, as I was much more relaxed than I would have been with Carter. Not to mention that Charlotte is TOUGH and recovered quickly...I am not sure the recovery would have been so swift with Carter. Charlotte makes a sad face when I try to treat her wound, but other than that, she is not bothered by it at all! I am so thankful for both of my little ones...they are so different from each other and so wonderful to get to know each day!

Imagination and New Things

2011-06-22T23:29:00.003-05:00

Well, it has only been a few days or so and I am already posting again. This is what I call progress. Life around here has been progressing as well, in it's own new way. It is starting to feel like this new schedule and set of responsibilities, challenges and motivators is our real life. I am working on finding a balance between school work, household stuff, being a mom, being a wife and being a Whitney. "Book Club" was this week which always help to balance me and give me some time with the girls. I am starting to make cooking a priority so that Vaughn's work day can be more defined, not to mention a little longer (in hopes that he won't have to work so many nights). I have cooked two great dinners this week already with little help, but a lot of encouragement from Vaughn! These were completely new recipes to our household and we have really liked them so far. I have enjoyed cooking and having a goal to meet by the end of the day. I have done some of my prep. work during Charlotte's nap times which makes it a little more peaceful. The kids and I have not done any major activities this week. We have played at the house and enjoyed our newly repaired and painted sunroom/playroom. Here are some photos of the kiddos with the tunnels and cubes which Carter pretends are dinosaur decoys (Dino Dan on Nick Jr. has inspired a lot of dinosaur imaginative play in our house).

Charlotte screaming "ball"

Charlotte in the sunlight

Carter is spying something with his "big eye" and Charlotte looks a little grossed out!

Carter dressed himself up as a cowboy...Dino-rain boots, no shorts, and a western belt with an empty gun holster...He totally thinks he looks like Sheriff Woody from Toy Story (at least I got him to trade in the Fedora for a cowboy hat this time)!

A Great (sort of new) life

2011-06-16T23:26:00.003-05:00

Life in the DuBroc house has been doing a lot of changing lately and the changes have mostly been happening in my life. I have left my job as a Case Manager for a foster care agency to return to graduate school. I will be officially starting the Occupational Therapy program at Texas Woman's University in the fall. This summer, I am taking two classes though to get a bit ahead and get my feet wet. It is amazing that I no longer have to worry about my work phone ringing in the middle of the night. I really thought that it would take awhile for the stress of my job to wear off, but this has simply not been the case. I have not even really thought about it much. I am so thankful to get to be with my kids so much more and to be more "with them" when I am here. All of these changes have made me think more about enjoying everyday and appreciating all that I have. Now that my situation has given me more time to appreciate my family, I see how much I was letting the stress of work cloud my perceptions of my life. I. have. a. great. life. One of the major thoughts that keeps rolling around in my head is..."what if today is the last day of my life??? and then...what if it isn't?". I want to somehow find the balance of living each day with some sense of abandonment and joy, but also I want to wake up the next day proud of what I have accomplished the day before. I want to smile through whatever work I have to do and to find joy in whatever my day holds...whether it be laundry or a midterm...playdates or nick jr. shows. It has been so nice that though I am busy with school assignments and readings, my time is mine to schedule and so I am feeling so much freer to do fun things with the kids during the week. To be honest, I took the kids on outings while I was still working, but I felt guilty about it (really!). So, my new goal is to use this blog as a record of the lives of my awesome kiddos, but also as place of (shallow) reflection for me. Anyone who knows me, knows that I will not get too deep on the internet...I am way to skiddish for that! We did take a fun trip to the Children's Aquarium at Fair Park today, but my photos are less than shareable, so I will post photos of our next great adventure!

If someone actually reads this and then is utterly disappointed that there is nothing about the kids in my post...here you go. They are amazing! Carter is almost 3 1/2 and is too smart for my own good. He is negotiating with us constantly and is learning how to control his emotions. Carter is obsessed with Toy Story and acts like Buzz Lightyear about 70% of the time. You must speak Toy Story to communicate sometimes. Charlotte is a tough and happy kid. She is very physical and has the cutest pigtails in the world. She is a little stubborn, but smiles all day long. She loves Carter so much. She calls for him in the morning when she wakes up. She is talking more and more everyday. She knows a lot of words, but I cannot get her to say her own name. I am so happy to have the kids that I have...they are strong and funny and loving.

DuBroc Update 2011

2011-03-08T15:33:00.004-06:00

Well, I have not updated the blog in months...in fact it was 2010 when I last posted anything. I should be embarassed, but well, I am just proud that I am finally doing a post now. The kids have been keeping us very busy and entertained. Since my last post, Carter has turned 3 years old and Charlotte had her first birthday. Charlotte is walking...practically running and Carter is such a "kid". Carter is a three year old without a doubt and has given us a run for our money lately. Carter has fallen in love with Toy Story and he has no idea that he is a decade later than the world on this trend. He has no idea that there are several Toy Story movies. Carter is also very into dinosaurs. He knows more dinosaurs at 3 years old than I had ever heard of before this year. Charlotte is funny and she is very entertained by Carter and games in which people pop out at her. Charlotte has a few words, but she is definitely more physical than verbal. Charlotte loves to see herself with her hair up, but will NOT sit for it to be done. Charlotte has quite a little temper and will stand up for herself without hesitation. She is climbing onto the furniture, but unfortunately she has no concept of gravity and so we have to follow her around to prevent a nosedive from the couch. So, life is busy and exciting and frustrating and overwhelming and funny. We are looking forward to spring and some major time outdoors. Happy March to all!

Halloween 2010

2010-11-05T16:10:00.002-05:00

We had such a great halloween this year. I helped with Carter's Halloween Party at school and he loved it! There class was so excited about the costume parade and the special craft and snack. They were all so cute in their costumes! It was a great way to start the Halloween weekend. On Halloween, Sloan, the pink bunny, came over to trick or treat with the kids. Carter was dressed up as a cowboy in a costume that MamaDu made for Vaughn or Beau. We got so many compliments on the costume...he looked amazing! Charlotte was a monkey....which is perfectly appropriate as she never stops moving and is always climbing and crawling and creeping. She was super cute and we added a bow to make sure she was a girlie monkey. We took some photos and a lot of our favorite people came by to see the kids in their costumes. Carter was so excited about halloween and trick or treating. We had been talking about it for a week or two, so he seemed to understand the process. We still weren't sure if he was going to get it or not. He got it! He was so ready that he was pushing us out of the house. He had no fear about saying "Trick or Treat" and by the end of the night was saying "Howdy Folks", "Thank you, Happy Halloween" and talking about the other costumes. Carter has been slowly eating away at his candy stash, but seemed to think the big reward was the actual trick or treating. It was a great way to start the succession of fall/winter holidays. Carter has definitely moved on and we talk about Santa EVERYDAY!

Carter on "Uncle Rick the horse" (named after Vaughn's Uncle Rick)

Carter and Charlotte

Sloan, Carter and Charlotte

Fall is here

2010-10-14T11:17:00.004-05:00

Charlotte says "pffft" to pumpkins

Carter says cheese

Carter giving Charlotte a sweet kiss

Sloan, Carter and Charlotte...color coordinated and cute!

Sloan knows how to take a picture...my kids are a little tuned out

The end of summer and the beginning of fall have been very busy and overwhelming. I have gone part-time at work and I am taking classes in order to apply for my master's degree. The kids are keeping us on our toes. I hope that when Charlotte looks back at my lack of posts during her first year, she knows that I post less because I am busy loving my time with her and Carter. Charlotte is growing up so fast. She is crawling, pulling up, cruising and trying to stand without holding on. She is the toughest girl that I have ever met. I am not sure where she got the gene, but she is seriously tough. Charlotte will crawl over obstacles as a way to push herself (her cousin Sloan is a favorite obstacle). Charlotte is a great eater and is so tall. She is just such a happy baby, unless she is in the car for too long--then she can WAIL! Carter is in preschool this fall and really likes it. When he tells stories of his day at school, I just die. He gives the funnies details and he seems to like the role of storyteller. Carter is sweet most of the time, but it has started to bother him when his little sister takes his toys. He is letting that terrible two's thing slip a little at those moments. Carter loves to go outside and watching cars "go backwards" entertains him to no end. We have gone to the fair recently and Carter loves the animals. Both of the kids love to go on walks and go to the park. We seem to be getting into a rhythm with our new schedules now that the semester is half way over and hopefully I will better about taking and posting pics of the kids. I just feel so lucky to have such a wonderfula family and I am so excited about fall and winter with our family of four!

Family Vacation 2010

2010-06-30T21:41:00.004-05:00

Vaughn, Carter, Charlotte and I went to Lake LBJ with my parents and my aunt last week. It was so much fun! We spent a lot of our time just hanging out and potty-training. Carter did great and by the end of the week, he was using the big potty all of the time. We went to the Safari Zoo again and Carter loved it even more this year. He even fed a camel named Goober and touched his head. Carter got to ride a pony at the zoo and he loved his pony...named "Ashley". Charlotte seemed to be content at least while we all fed buffalo, ostriches, camels, llamas, etc. She just rode along in the carrier with Vaughn. My dad has recently purchased a boat and Carter made him feel pretty confident in his purchase every chance he got! Carter LOVES the boat! He literally jumps up and down with excitement about going on a boat ride and when he gets out of the boat, he always says that it was "Super Fun". Carter fished on the boat with Vaughn and DV. He also fished on the banks by the house with my dad....he had on my dad's straw hat and his jammies! Our week was filled with wildlife. In addition to our vast nature experiences at the zoo, we saw several deer and a peacock everyday at the house. We also had visits from Canada Geese, ducks, and turtles. Carter just does not understand how amazing this truly was! Carter greeted every animal with a huge hello and I am pretty sure that, due to his television experiences, he fully expected a verbal greeting in return. When he saw the geese, he looked at me and asked "where are the goslings?". We also had a great visit with our friends the Burnhams...it is so great to see Carter and Jack actually play together. Brynn and Charlotte are destined to be great friends....they just aren't quite aware of this yet! All in all, we had a great vacation (the drives are already almost forgotten) and we are so thankful to my parents for the week at the lake! Carter on the BOAT!

Charlotte...I mean seriously...so CUTE!

Riding a pony in a circle...Carter loves anyone named Ashley!

Charlotte and Daddy at the Safari Zoo

Big Day at the DuBroc House

2010-06-11T18:20:00.002-05:00

On Wednesday (June 9th), we had a huge day! Charlotte rolled over from her tummy to her back both directions. Carter was so cute...he cheered her on as we kept putting her back to try again. Carter also had a HUGE day of his own...Carter peepee-ed in the potty. He was so excited and he actually did it two more times that day. We have hit a bit of a wall since then, but he is still interested and making progress. Carter is growing up so fast. I am simply thankful for the reminder that I will not be changing diapers for the rest of my life. Yeah for milestones and growing up! I am so proud of my kiddos and it is really cool to see them cheer each other on (even if it is a bit one-sided for now).

Overdue Post

2010-06-02T20:50:00.004-05:00

I have failed. I did not post in May and for some reason, I actually let this fact make me feel a little guilty. I will accept the truth...I did not post every month like I promised, but I will also add that I was a little busy. Carter keeps us on our toes and now he is out of school for the summer....so we are getting even more time together. Carter pretends to be Big Bird (he la-la's) and pretends to be Cookie Monster (me want cookie). Carter tells everyone that he has "a great idea". He narrates everything that he does and could not be any sweeter. Carter has started to run up to us and his grandparents to give hugs. He still loves Charlotte and he loves his new cousin, Sloan, too. Charlotte is becoming more and more vocal every day. She smiles a lot and almost laughs. She gives this breathy yelp and you can tell she is wanting to laugh (because I am so dang funny). Charlotte looks just like her Daddy. Check out some photos below.

Carter, Charlotte and Sloan

Charlotte's Smile

One Proud Big Brother

Carter is pointing at Charlotte's eye...not actually poking her

I will go ahead and promise once again to be better about blogging regularly. We are going on vacation this month and I will post photos when we return. We will hopefully have a photo-filled summer!

Easter, Etc.

2010-04-20T16:54:00.004-05:00

I am quite aware that the frequency of my posts does not communicate how proud I am of my beautiful children. I am just too dang busy spending time enjoying and taking care of the kids to write about it. So, just in case there is any doubt...I think my kids are pretty darn cute and wonderful. Charlotte and Carter have continued to keep us very busy at the DuBroc house.

Carter is as funny as ever and has begun to have a few "2 year old moments" lately. He has run away from me at the park to go watch a kid on a skateboard, he has had more than one tantrum about a balloon and he loves to jump off of the fireplace just to give me a heart attack. Carter "reads" to himself in bed before his nap and loves to sing songs "all together". The most important thing that has happened recently with Carter is that the Easter Bunny took his pacifiers to the babies who needed them and brought him a "big boy" present. We had a few rough nights and rougher naps, but everything has settled back to "normal". Next task...potty training...(enter scary music here).

Charlotte is a great baby! She is cuddly and likes to sleep. Charlotte is sleeping through the night except for needing help retrieving her pacifier several times in the early morning. Charlotte has started to smile A LOT and it is wonderful. I will try to catch it on camera, but I am not making any promises.

We have had a busy month since my last post. We of course went to an Easter Egg Hunt with Vaughn's family and Carter actually participated this year. He did not know what to do about the whiny or aggressive kids. He just stops and stares at them. We also threw a surprise birthday party for DV (my dad) for his 60th birthday. He actually won't be 60 until the 29th, but we celebrated on the day he went on a flight in a B-17 (his birthday present to himself). Carter insisted on wearing his rain boots to DV's party and hopefully you can see the boots in the photo below. I started back to work yesterday and so we are having a week of change and adjustments at our house. Vaughn's mom did great with the kids on my first day back and my mom gets to tackle her first full day with both grandchildren tomorrow. I was not excited about going back to work, but it absolutely makes me appreciate the time that I do have with my buggy and birdie.

Here are some updated photos of the kids. I have an egg...it is pink (my favorite color...seriously)

I mean....can he be any cuter?!?

Yes I am sitting on a Washers Board...I am a cool frat guy in pirate rain boots

Charlotte....2 months old and already questioning everything I say.

So cute...enough said.

Twice the Fun and Twice as Tired

2010-03-16T11:48:00.004-05:00

Life with two children is in some ways not very different than with just one and in some ways is a complete change. Coming home with Charlotte and taking care of her and Carter absolutely makes my first maternity leave seem like a real vacation. Carter has been the best sport about the attention that we have been giving to Charlotte and he really seems to like having her around. Carter has been pushing his limits a little bit by jumping off of the fireplace everytime he knows that I can't jump up to get him. Carter hugs Charlotte and kisses her. Our last few weeks have been even more complicated because little Miss Charlotte had lost weight when I took her to the doctor at 2 weeks old. Apparently she was doing a great job pretending to nurse. She had been giving us every sign that she was eating well and getting enough food, but come to find out that she was obviously not. We have now switched to bottled breast milk so that we can monitor how much she is eating. This has most definitely complicated life around our house, but we all feel better knowing that Charlotte is getting the nourishment that she needs. We took her back two days after the 2 week appointment and she had already gained 3 ounces. Charlotte is looking less and less like a newborn everyday and she is so much more alert. Charlotte tried out her swing for the first time yesterday and she loved it. At first she looked a little worried as she went back and forth, but she soon fell asleep. We seem to be adjusting to our new little family and we even survived a weekend without Vaughn (thanks to my mom and sister)! Here are a few pictures of the kiddos!

Carter has found an old hat of Vaughn's and wears it like this A LOT! It is totally creepy, but he thinks it is awesome!

Charlotte, 3 weeks old. She is looking a little worried about something...maybe it was Carter in his hat:).

Carter and Charlotte, getting to know each other. How sweet are my kids!?!

Family of Four

2010-02-20T18:17:00.002-06:00

Charlotte Elaine was born on February 19, 2010. She was 8 pounds, 15 ounces and she is 20 3/4 inches long. We decided to induce labor a week early after doing a sonogram on Thursday. Charlotte's head was already measuring at over 40 weeks gestation and they were guessing that she was in the high 8s and that she could be up to one pound up or down from there. After the very long and very hard labor with Carter, who was 9 pounds at 40 weeks, we decided that the best thing would be to induce labor since I was already dilated to a 3. We were both so ready to meet Miss Charlotte and wanted to avoid a giant baby delivery if possible. We got to the hospital at 7 am and I was finally hooked up to the pitocin by 9 am. It took a while for contractions to get going and then I asked for the epidural. I went very quickly from a 5 to a 9 and they called the doctor in the early afternoon. When she got there, I started pushing and Charlotte arrived before I broke a sweat. I think I only pushed about 5 or 6 times. This experience was vastly different from my hours and hours of pushing with Carter! It was so fast that Shelby just kept laughing and saying that she couldn't believe that she came out so quickly. Charlotte's head is so round for a newborn and her hair is so full and dark. I just knew that she would look like her Aunt Tierney and knew that she would have dark hair!

Charlotte has been a pleasure in every way. She is feeding well and sleeping well too. Charlotte has begun to cry a little today, but she prefers a good whimper over a scream or cry. She loves to look around and she seems interested in her big brother. Carter has been interested in her and has greeted her on more than one occasion. He even seemed excited that she would be at the hospital again today. We are just crossing our fingers that he is excited when she comes home tomorrow! Carter has been an amazing trooper through all of this and he has been happy to leave us at the hospital to hang out with his wonderful grandparents. We are so happy and thankful that Charlotte has arrived and that we have a healthy family of four! Here are some photos from today!

A little grumpy from being moved around

Carter is hugging his little sister

Yes, I have already put her in a bow

Charlotte's Nest

2010-02-02T16:50:00.003-06:00

We are getting EXCITED about Charlotte! It is officially February and it is looking pretty inevitable that the DuBrocs will be a family of four before the end of the month. I will be 36 weeks pregnant on Friday and so we are in the home stretch. Carter seems to understand that Baby Charlotte is coming, that she has a room and that she is in Mommy's tummy. We will see how his perspective changes when she is actually sharing his space and the attention of his parents. Carter loves to play in Charlotte's room already...mostly because he is rediscovering his infant toys with excitement and a very messy enthusiasm. I am so loving this girly thing. I had so much fun painting Charlotte's room and letting the pinks flow with abandon. I am not usually very girly, but I think this could be dangerous now that I get to dress a girly baby!! Here are some photos of the nursery...hope you enjoy the pictures and I hope Charlotte enjoys her room! The vanity in the room is part of the bedroom set that Charlotte has inherited from my grandmother. It was Allie Flo's bedroom furniture when she was girl and so it is very special to me that we get to share it with our little girl.

Our Christmas

2010-01-20T21:48:00.004-06:00

Here are a few photos from our Christmas. I think that it is pretty obvious that we are 1. terrible about taking pictures and 2. when we do take pictures, they are only of Carter... We had a great Christmas and loved spending time with all of our family. It was so much fun to do the whole Santa thing with Carter this year and he seemed to kind of understand the idea. He LOVED all of the Christmas decorations all over town. Carter knew exactly which stores had which giant decorations and he would insist that we go see them every time we entered the stores. Carter could spot a christmas tree or a snowman across a parking lot and was just amazed by our tree at home. Carter still asks to see the Santas and other decor at stores and we are having to try to explain that he has to wait a year to start the process all over again.I have a feeling that our Christmases will only get more entertaining and fun-filled as Carter and his soon to be sister get older and more involved. Having a kid around absolutely makes Christmas a lot more fun!!!

Carter is expressing his excitement about his Christmas presents!

Santa brought Carter a train, train table, a drum and a Yo Gabba Gabba boat for the bathtub! He was so excited!

Carter is learning how to smile for the camera and was so happy to celebrate Christmas with my family and Philip's reindeer on the wall!

Carter is 2

2010-01-20T21:39:00.002-06:00

Well, Carter actually turned 2 on December 21st and we celebrated the weekend before Christmas. Carter had an amazing time at his party. What is not to love about having 25 adults adore you and shower you with attention and gifts??? Carter was so excited to be surrounded by all of his favorite people. When we all started to sing "Happy Birthday" his face totally lit up and he realized that we were all singing to him. After we finished, he looked around and requested "Jingle Bells" from what he assumed to be his personal carolers. Carter has definitely made the past two years the most amazing and fun years of our lives! I can't believe that this past 2 years have gone by so quickly. Thank you to everyone who helped Carter celebrate his birthday!

Thankful for our big guy!

2009-12-06T11:55:00.002-06:00

As Carter's 2nd birthday is fast approaching, I am struck by how big and grown up he is becoming. He amazes me every day. Carter is expressive and opinionated and funny and sweet and so capable. I can't believe how fast these 2 years have gone by. We had a great Thanksgiving weekend...here are some pictures (in no particular order). In the next few weeks, we will have Carter's 2nd birthday and Christmas, so we should be pretty busy and Carter should be pretty excited about all of his presents:).

Carter and Jack gathering acorns. No Carter did not push Jack down...it just looks like it.

Thanksgiving with Uncle BeauBeau

Throwing a ball (read: run at Daddy with the ball and then hand it to him.)

Carter is literally hugging this tree at our park!

Better Late than Never

2009-11-22T08:55:00.002-06:00

Well, it has been an embarassingly long time since my last post and frankly I have no excuse except that we are busy! Since my last post, we have announced that I am pregnant and due February 26th. We are having a girl and her name will be Charlotte Elaine DuBroc. We are so excited about her arrival! Carter is growing up so stinking fast and he amazes us everyday. Carter has started Mother's Day Out and loves it. We are working on helping Carter understand the whole baby thing and he says that we are having a baby and knows her name...we are just not sure that he knows what "baby" means. Carter talks more and more everyday and cracks us up. Carter will walk into Vaughn's office and say "Whatcha doin' Daddy?" and can sing all of "Baa Baa Black Sheep". He is just so happy! Here are a few recent photos of Carter.

Carter actually turns 2 years old in less than a month and I just can't believe he is already such a little person. He makes jokes and cares about others. We can't wait to see him become a great big brother. I vow to post more photos of him and will for sure get his 2nd birthday done as soon as we celebrate!

Carter's First Day of School

Carter as a not-so-enthusiastic Elmo

Carter has found my wooden clog collection and loves to wear them around the house!

I like stuff on my face...

2009-06-19T14:29:00.002-05:00

Carter has been given a great deal of freedom lately in the area of food consumption and delivery...the following are the results we often get. The first picture is the night Carter learned how to "dip fries in ketchup"...he was soon just using his fingers as the ketchup tool. The second photo is an ice cream cone with homemade ice cream...we all wished we could have eaten it with such enthusiasm.

A Day at the Zoo

2009-05-24T16:52:00.000-05:00

Like most toddlers, Carter's attention span is not a long one, but there are a few things for which he reserves his love, obsession, and devotion. Among these things are Elmo, his puzzles, and animals. We even have an Elmo DVD about Wild Animals...Carter is in heaven! In order to foster the non-TV centered interests, we took Carter to the Dallas Zoo today. Vaughn, Shelby, Carter and I all went and it was exhausting. Carter seemed to be interested in the animals although the "horshie" seems to have won over all of the "wild animals" in holding his interest. We saw roosters and he "cock-a-doodled" at them. He liked the elephants, the gorillas, and the meerkats. He enjoyed any glass that he could bang on and any time he was allowed to wander freely. Here are a few pictures from our adventure...

Easter with Carter

2009-04-18T10:18:00.000-05:00

I would like to begin this posting with an apology for the lapse of postings that has recently occurred. We are trying to sell our house and with all of the work we have been doing on top of just getting through every day with full time jobs and Carter...the blog unfortunately suffered. So, on to what everyone really cares about....pictures of Carter!

We went to the Prairie Creek Garden Club Easter Egg "Hunt" on Easter Sunday, but Carter did not quite understand. Who knew you had to train for this kind of event? We later did a private easter egg hunt at MamaDu and PapaDu's house. He was much more interactive and successful at this "event". Thanks to Aunt Jess we actually have some photos of these events and thanks to Emmie, Carter is too cute in his new Easter outfit!

Lost Camera

2009-03-05T16:15:00.001-06:00

I know that everyone waits on pins and needles everyday for a new post about Carter and I apologize for the enormous delay. We have lost our camera....or it is playing a very long game of hide and seek with us. I have no doubt that it is somewhere in our house, but I have continuously looked and had no luck! So, without visuals to add to the delight of any readers, here is an update: Carter is walking...almost running, now. He is so totally on the go...he climbs, squats, reaches and speed walks all of the time. Carter is wanting to be up on everything and will adamantly demand that you pull him "DOWN" onto the bed or the couch. I have tried repeatedly to explain that he is actually wanting "up", but the closest we have ever gotten was "pup" and that was only once. Carter is talking. It is actually kind of freaky...he says all kinds of things that I don't remember ever teaching him. He says a lot of animal names, animal sounds, names, toy names, he even says pumpkin. This kid is about to be smarter than me....I swear! Anyway, we are having so much fun with Carter and he is so freaking funny. When Carter says "carter" I could just melt. I will post video or photos soon so that everyone can see how big he is getting. And, for now, everyone cross your fingers that we find the camera:)

December..Over, but not Forgotten

2009-01-02T23:26:00.000-06:00

December came and went without a new post....the first month that I have missed completely since Carter was born. December was a month full of Birthday and Christmas (i.e. events that one may feel deserve to be recorded in blog form), but because we were actually busy at these events, posting was postponed. So, here is an update to cover the time that has elapsed.

Carter's First Birthday

Carter and his official present-opener

Carter attacked his cupcake and did not take a breath until he had devoured the entire thing.

My sweet birthday boy before the guests and excitement arrived.

Just an everyday dinner with Carter...who doesn't love a messy face

Christmas with Carter

Carter and his only encounter with Santa this year....I know...poor parenting

Carter actually opening a gift on Christmas morning...

he likes it because it has a mirror...he already knows how cute he is

Missing blogs or not, we had a great December and a wonderful 2008. Carter has enhanced our lives in ways we never could have expected and he forces us to keep a sense of humor in all things. We are all lucky to have so many friends and family to support us and love on Carter. Here is to a fabulous 2009 with a toddler....more to come!

Happy Birthday PapaDu!

2008-11-30T17:34:00.000-06:00

PapaDu (Vaughn's Dad, Larry) turns 60 today! Carter says happy birthday and that he loves you! Okay, well maybe he just fake coughed for a few minutes, but I know that is what he means! We love you and hope that you had a great day today!

Thankful and 11 months old

2008-11-29T09:24:00.000-06:00

It has been a long time since I posted new pictures...it is just amazing how fast time goes by and how busy we are just doing daily stuff. Carter is over 11 months old and we are now counting down to his 1st birthday. It has been the best year and it feels like you can almost watch Carter's brain getting bigger all of the time. Carter has taken a few steps and is walking behind his Tonka truck with ease. Carter says "Mama" and "Dada" and seems to use it appropriately most of the time. He says "Book" and "Cat". Carter laughs so much and he is just such a content and pleasant kiddo. We are just absolutely blessed. Carter seems to just enjoy life, but especially likes when any adult acts like a crazy person...it is very entertaining when grown-ups make fools of themselves. Anything for a laugh from Carter. Carter had his first haircut recently and he looks like a little man now. He was pretty sleepy during the event, so he did not put up too much of a fight. Carter's "Aunt Jet" (Jeri) cut his hair and did a great job!

My cousin Holly passed along some clothes that were worn by her dad, my dad, her brother and then her boys. The overalls and shirt are very worn, but so cute. Carter fits into them now and so we had to take his picture. Here are a few of them.

We had a great Thanksgiving at my Aunt and Uncle's farm. We hung out outside and everyone rode horses, motorcycles, jeeps and everyone (besides Emmie, Great, Carter and I) shot guns at targets. Here are some of the cutest photos of Carter....and some other people.

Vaughn on the motorcycle...before he fell.

Carter "driving" the tractor...how cute is that!

Emmie and Carter play the drum outside

Vaughn and I are both so thankful for Carter and the wonderful year that we have had. We are so thankful for the awesome support system that we have in our friends and family. Carter is so lucky to have four wonderful grandparents and loving aunts and uncles. So, if you are our friend or family, we love you and we are thankful for being a part of our lives.

10 Months and Standing

2008-10-27T16:35:00.000-05:00

Carter is ten months old and I really cannot believe that this year has gone by this fast. It truly feels like he was just born and we were just coming home freaking out about how to make sure he is safe and breathing and everything! I just feel so lucky to have such a great kiddo! Carter is such a happy kid and he has just started standing on his own. He is so fast at crawling and cruising and trying to get to the cats before they see him coming. Here are a few recent photos:

Swinging at the park during the Huffines Art Festival--Carter was not sure what to think of this activity!

Dinner after spending a nap-free day with my Emmie! Carter actually had food in his mouth when he crashed...it did make it very easy to clean him up!

Perfect Fall Weekend

2008-10-14T16:29:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks, I have been working on Saturdays--leaving Vaughn and Carter on their own and leaving me exhausted! This past weekend, I got a break and we had a great weekend! Saturday was the Texas/Oklahoma game and Carter was of course showing his Longhorn pride! The Longhorns won and Carter consoled Fauntie Sara and Funcle Eric! We all took a late nap on Saturday afternoon after the game, which meant that Carter was not going to bed on time. Since he was going to be up anyway, we all headed back to Shelby and Michael's house to hang out for a while. Carter experienced his first campfire and was mesmerized. On Sunday we all went to the Pumpkin Patch. To be honest, this was mostly just a photo op, not much of a shopping trip, but it was fun to see Carter take it all in. Vaughn and I, having both grown up in Richardson, have memories of going to the same pumpkin patch when we were kids. It had a big witch on top and a pumpkin on a cord that would fly up when you tried to grab it. We wanted so badly to share the same memories with Carter, but of course, things change and it is not there anymore. We decided to go to a pumpkin patch in Richardson and it was very cool. They had spots to take pictures all over the place and the prices weren't too bad! Our weekend was great and very autumnal! Carter is just becoming such a little kid already.

Fair Day

2008-10-10T16:23:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, we all went to the State Fair of Texas. Carter has been bugging us for weeks to meet Big Tex, so we finally gave in....kidding. In reality, Vaughn and I just needed a day of good/gross food and the smell of farm animals and Carter got to tag along. Carter was such a good sport and loved to just take it all in. He seemed to like the animals the best and just walking around. We met up with Uncle Beau and Aunt Jessica and crew who were there to celebrate Uncle Beau's birthday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAU! Here are a few photos from our day:

I tried to let Carter pet the sheep...He would stretch out his hand and then lean back so that he couldn't quite reach her.

Vaughn and Carter standing in the landscaping exhibit. Carter is getting so good at smiling for the camera!

Carter and I are standing on a bridge in one of the exhibits...He could not stop looking at all of the flowers.

Carter and I went behind the board to get ready to take his flower photo and he just leaned forward and stuck his face right through the hole. It was as if he did this every day. What a cute...handsome flower!

Post-Fair-Day Mommy and Carter checking on her...The day was so fun, but I was exhausted!

Nine Months Old Already

2008-10-05T21:38:00.000-05:00

Carter is now 9 months old and he is doing great! We went to the doctor for his check up and he squirmed the entire time. Carter weighed 21.2 pounds (60%) and is 29 inches tall (75%)...the big news is Carter's head...it is 18 3/4 inches. This is in the greater than 95%! I have never really looked at Carter and thought..."wow, check out that noggin' "...but apparently he has very large brains. Carter is becoming such a kid..he claps, he laughs all of the time, he crawl-runs from us when we say no, and he loves to play all kinds of games.

Carter grabbed the spoon the other day...he wants to be independent so badly! He couldn't figure out what was in his eye...it was so funny.

Belated Birthday Wishes to Emmie!

2008-09-20T23:06:00.000-05:00

Carter reminded his mother that he never got to wish Emmie a Happy Birthday on the blog because we were out of town in August and apparently brainless. So, hope your birthday was great! We love you Emmie! I know that Carter appreciates the extreme measures that you are willing to go to make him laugh.

Long Over Due Update

2008-09-16T11:42:00.000-05:00

Apparently, Carter is now requesting that his blog be updated via his Aunt SheShe, so at his request I am posting some pics. We are having so much fun with Carter...he is really interactive and funny. It is so crazy how quickly he is starting to seem more like a kid and less like a baby! Carter currently thinks that "meow" is a very funny sound and loves chasing after our cats. They are actually great sports, but I think as he is getting faster, they are getting more irritated. Carter is crawling and cruising and basically keeping us on our toes. We have been busy just doing the work and family thing lately so all of our recent photos are just of Carter...kinda boring, but at least he's cute!

Carter is getting ready for Texas Football!

Carter is very into knobs and pulls of all kinds....he is showing his dad in this pic!

Carter loves "Olly" the Octopus...maybe too much!

8 months and growing!

2008-08-22T15:18:00.000-05:00

Well this past month has been a busy one! Carter is doing more and more everyday. He is creeping very quickly and getting very close to an actual crawl. I think he would just rather do what he knows how to do because he is faster. He is pulling up on things and trying to take a step or two. Carter has started eating meat (making me want to puke at every feeding) and is even working on the sippy cup. We took our first trip with Carter to Houston for four nights and we survived. Carter was a great sport and did not get too loud in all of the restaurants and hotels. He was not too big of a fan of the pack n play, so he would end up in the bed with us every night. He slept great, but of course, I was totally freaked out about rolling over on him. Carter loved looking out of the hotel windows and he was quite the cutie at the Nursery and Landscape Exhibition at the Convention Center. Carter really worked on his screaming ability on the day that we checked into our hotel downtown and could not get enough of his own voice. His love for his reflection is also hard to beat, so he loved the mirrors in the hotel rooms. Carter took his first bath in the actual tub and just loved it. It was a little hard to get his hair washed, but he fell in love with the drain cover. Carter does not have a doctor's appointment this month so we don't know his exact weight and height, but he is in 12 Months clothing now! He is so big. The other night, he woke up and needed to be held (he was a little freaked out for a few days after we got back in town) and he would barely fit in my lap in the recliner. Carter is dealing a little with separation/stranger anxiety and he especially freaks out when SheShe's fiance, Michael talks to him. It seems so mean because Michael really likes Carter and tries really hard to make him smile--Carter just cries about 70% of the time when Michael tries to interact with him. Hopefully this is a short phase!

Growing Up So Fast!

2008-08-19T15:03:00.000-05:00

Here are a few pictures of Carter that I thought were worth sharing. He seems to have figured out that he should smile and pose for the camera.

Carter defies all rules about his exer-saucer!

Wave at the camera...Carter is just chillin' on his pillow!

Check out that smile and those teeth!

Happy Boy

2008-08-07T22:20:00.000-05:00

This is a shot of Carter's face while he is on his Daddy's shoulders. Carter just laughs the entire time and holds onto Vaughn's hair. It is so cute!

Happy Birthday MamaDu!

2008-07-31T16:55:00.000-05:00

We hope that your day is great! I admit that this picture is very old, but it is the only one I can find of you too! Look at how little Carter was! Thank you very much for all that you do! Carter is very lucky to have you in his life and we are lucky too!

Carter Update

2008-07-31T15:34:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since my last post and I know that everyone is starving for some new Carter photos. It is amazing how fast life starts to pass by and then it has been another month. Carter is now over 7 months old and is so much fun! He is so funny and he thinks the world is here just to make him laugh. It is so cool to watch him learn things like how his Jumper works and how to play peek-a-boo. Carter makes the best motor-boat noise in the world and he is getting one beautiful head of hair. He is so curious and interactive and happy. Here are a few pictures of the past month or so.

Sitting Pretty...er...Handsome

Wearing my Emmie's Hat

Sleeping Angel

Tickling the Ivories with my Dad

Carter's First Independence Day

2008-07-07T21:31:00.000-05:00

Carter celebrated his first 4th of July, though he was a little too young to watch fireworks. We hung out by the pool all weekend and Carter squeezed in time to pose for a few photos. What could be cuter than a six month old, a patriotic quilt and a flag!

Carter...excited about liberty or about getting to hold a stick with a pointy end?!?

Red, White and Drool!

Carter goes Black Tie

2008-07-05T19:34:00.001-05:00

I am finally getting around to posting some pictures of Carter in his tuxedo. It is hard to see, but it was the cutest thing ever. We all had a great time at the wedding...even Carter. He was a great sport and even fell asleep in his tux. Congratulations, Aunt Jess and Uncle Beau!

Carter with his Aunt Jess and Uncle Beau, the handsome wedding couple!

The DuBrocs dress up--Carter with Me and Vaughn

Happy Birthday SheShe

2008-06-24T09:47:00.000-05:00

This is Carter and his aunt, SheShe (Shelby) hanging out. We hope that your birthday was great! Sorry this is a day late...Carter has a hard time reading a calendar! We love you!

Six Months

2008-06-21T08:48:00.000-05:00

Carter is officially six months old today. Vaughn and I both took him to his six month check up at the doctor this week. This was Vaughn's first time witnessing the horror of shots! Actually Carter did very well and recovered quickly after the shots were over. Carter continues to prove his determination to be a tall, skinny kid. He is 27 inches tall and 15 pounds, 11 ounces. Now that he is six months old, we have begun to add vegetables into his fast-expanding diet. He had some green beans yesterday and did very well until he actually stopped to taste them. He then decided that he liked to push them back out more than swallowing them. Carter is just so fun and he is doing more and more everyday. He is just days away from sitting on his own...I can feel it. He can do it now, but there is no predicting how long it will last and he will just fall backwards at will. He is so curious and wants to touch everything. Carter is also very into Clementine, our dog. He stood holding onto to her kennel (with help) for 20 minutes yesterday, just waiting for a glance or a lick. I am pretty sure that he thinks that Clem exists only to entertain him. I can't wait until they can play together. Carter has two teeth that are through the gum, but only one is really visible from afar. He laughs a lot and says "ma ma ma". We (meaning Vaughn) are working on the "da da". Now that Carter is six months old, I guess that means that Vaughn and I have survived six whole months of being parents. Both of us have really settled into the roles of Mom and Dad and we both have so much fun with Carter. It sometimes catches me off guard how much our lives have changed and how it seems to have happened so naturally. Our priorities have shifted and the things that used to seem so important, just aren't anymore. I am totally aware of how cliche that sounds, but it is true too. Being a parent is simply amazing and Carter is simply wonderful.

Father's Day

2008-06-16T13:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday was Vaughn's first Father's Day and we celebrated with both sides of the family. It has been really cool to get to see Vaughn be a dad...the role truly suits him. Carter has a great dad. It is so cool to see Vaughn's face light up whenever Carter does anything cute or new or well, just anything. Here are a few pictures of fatherhood, Vaughn's way:

My boys are just too cute! Happy Father's Day, Vaughn!

The lonely photo from the Wedding

2008-06-16T11:07:00.000-05:00

Beau and Jessica were married on June 7, 2008 and we all had a great time. Carter wore a tux (thanks to Jack for letting us borrow it) and he was a trooper all night. I think he finally called it quits about 11:00pm and went home with Emmie and DV. We will post more pictures when I get them...I was too busy having fun to take any photos myself.

Carter looks at ease surrounded by all of Vaughn's cousins...what a ladies' man!

Catch Up on Carter

2008-06-16T10:17:00.000-05:00

Well, life has been super crazy lately...In the past month we have celebrated my birthday (29 years old!!), Beau and Jessica's Wedding and Father's Day! There will be pictures to come from the wedding and father's day, but here are a few photos to catch everyone up on Carter's latest adventures. He is growing up so fast and is cuter everyday (if you ask me). Carter is so curious and interested in everything that comes near him and, of course, he tries to put it all in his mouth. He has one tooth and one very much on the way, so we will have pictures of teeth as soon as he will let me get a good shot.

We forgot Carter's swim suit and so he used his dad's from 1980.

Yes, that sure is a green terrycloth speedo!

Carter loves to give Daphne, Emmie and DV's dog, lots of hugs. We are not sure that Daphne appreciates his gestures of affection.

What a happy boy!

We got bubbles from Beau and Jessica's Wedding and have been mesmerized ever since!

I think I like the pool!

Solid Ground?

2008-05-25T21:38:00.000-05:00

For the past few weeks, Carter has been coveting every piece of food that Vaughn and I have eaten...so we knew that the time to start solid foods was fast approaching. Carter will grab at my cereal spoon in the morning and he will reach hungrily for every drink that he sees! So, Vaughn and I prepared the stage tonight...we got out the high-chair, the plastic bibs, and the baby spoons and we took the leap! Carter was a little confused at first, but towards the end of attempt number one, he seemed to be actually swallowing the rice cereal and opened his mouth for the next bite. It was so cool to see Carter take this next step and we are so excited to watch him get to try all kinds of foods!

Open Wide!!!

True Concentration

And We are Finished!

Carter Makes a Big Splash

2008-05-25T21:32:00.000-05:00

Carter "swam" for the first time this weekend at Mama Du and Papa Du's house. The water was way too cold, so he was not interested in hanging out for very long. He was very brave and it seems like he will like to swim once the water warms up!

My First Mother's Day

2008-05-13T14:07:00.000-05:00

Mother's Day takes on a whole new meaning and depth when you are the actual mother and my first turned out to be great! Carter, with the help of his very sweet father, "drew" me a picture and Vaughn framed it for me. Vaughn helped out even more than usual so that I could take a little time for myself. We spent some time with Vaughn's family, including his mom and Mimaw, and then we stopped by to surprise my Grandma too! Carter's gift could not have been any cuter! He is already showing some real artistic talent! Vaughn and Carter will have a lot to live up to next year! I must say that I am one lucky wife and mother--my guys are awesome!

Anything for a Laugh

2008-05-06T22:35:00.000-05:00

Carter laughed for the first time about a month ago, but he has decided to make it a rare and sought after occasion. I believe that he just wants to see us act as stupid as possible as often as possible. Vaughn triumphed and got Carter to laugh while the camera was actually functioning and in the room. I am pretty sure I could watch this over and over and never get tired of it. Carter's laugh was well worth the wait.

Happy Late Birthday DV!

2008-05-06T11:23:00.000-05:00

Carter and DV reading about dinosaurs...how macho!

So Bright We Gotta Wear Shades...

2008-05-02T09:53:00.000-05:00

How cool are Carter and Vaughn? I have been working late a few nights a week and apparently the boys are having quite a bit of fun in my absence. This photo also serves as evidence of Carter's core belief...All things must belong in his mouth!

Four Months Old

2008-04-25T14:34:00.000-05:00

I can hardly believe that Carter is already four months old and then again...it is hard to believe that he has only been around for four months. He is growing and learning new things so fast. I look back at pictures and can't believe how different he is! Carter is a very practiced roller now and flips to his tummy every time he is laid on his back. Carter has laughed, but he apparently has a very specific comedic taste. We try our best to make him laugh, but sadly we are not as funny as we think we are! The first time he laughed it was because of Vaughn's monkey noise...he has also decided that me as a rapper is worth a laugh! Carter and I braved the doctor's office again for another round of shots and his four month check up. He screamed during the shots, but showed off his rolling and kicking skills with the doctor. Carter weighed 14 pounds, 2 ounces and is now 26 inches tall. He is in the 30% for weight and the 80% for height. This of course made me worry that he was not gaining enough weight and all of that, but the doctor said that this is about the age when children take on their "body-type" and that it was perfectly normal. Who would have thought that I would have a tall, thin kiddo! I call him my noodle with a noggin (His head is in the 80% too!)

Carter survived his shots and had "cool" band-aids to show off!

Spring Arrives

2008-04-04T23:26:00.000-05:00

We are so excited that spring is finally here and that we can spend some time outside again! After we got home from the hospital, Carter and I basically hid inside the house to avoid the cold winter weather...not a bad time to be stuck at home. Now that the sun is out and the grass is getting greener, we can't wait to teach Carter all about the outdoors. One day last week, Vaughn, Carter, Clementine and I spent some time in the backyard.

Carter is looking cute in his hat and with the perfect little drip of drool on his lip.

Vaughn taught Carter all about gardening and dogs.

Clementine is so happy to have some company in the backyard and to get some attention!

I know that I may be partial...but what a cute boy!

Carter is almost 3 1/2 months old...

2008-04-04T23:11:00.000-05:00

It has been a long time since I have updated the blog...so I know that everyone is dying to hear about what Carter has been up to lately. It is so hard to believe that Carter was not around four months ago. He is so much the center of our whole lives and we are so into everything that he does. It is so strange to find ourselves having phone conversations about whether or not Carter has pooped during the day or his sleep schedule. Carter continues to amaze us as he learns to do more and more each day. Carter is rolling over from his tummy to his back and from his back to his tummy. He isn't doing it with a great deal of frequency or grace yet, but he is learning. Carter smiles all of the time and is so close to letting out that first laugh. Carter is reaching out for toys and actually made his hand touch the toy today! He is fascinated with his hands and constantly sticks out his tongue. Oh and the most amazing thing is that Carter is pretty much sleeping through the night...he will wake up for help with his pacifier every other night or so, but we are finally getting sleep in "normal" increments. Yeah!

Just a Few Photos of Carter

2008-04-04T22:36:00.000-05:00

Carter makes "Great" smile when we paid her a surprise visit!

Falling asleep in Daddy's arms...

Looking like an old man in his thin white undershirt...too cool!

Four Days in the Making

2008-03-01T21:32:00.001-06:00

I do not (fortunately for all) have a picture to share regarding the latest comical Carter moment, but I thought that it was worth sharing anyway. Prerequisite information for this story is that Carter's diapers are generally filled with what I lovingly call "poop soup" and that he loves to have audience when making his soup. So, apparently around 2 months old the digestive system starts to mature and so it is normal for their to be some more time between poops. Well, I was beginning to get a little worried after Carter had not pooped since Sunday...it was Thursday. He did not seem to feel bad. I had decided that if he did not poop by lunch I would call the doctor just to make sure there was nothing I needed to do. Vaughn kept Carter on Thursday and he reported two poops...so we thought we were in the clear. Well, I was feeding Carter on Friday morning and he decided to poop again. We ran to the changing table and while I was changing him, he continued in his mission. I yelled for Vaughn because someone else needed to see the sheer amount of poop. We had filled two diapers without even getting them on him and thought surely we were finished. NOPE! Carter then squirted poop over the diaper I was holding around him and onto his changing table. I am telling you...it went a good 8 to 10 inches. It was AMAZING! Vaughn and I could barely focus on getting him cleaned up we were laughing so hard. So, the moral of this story is....four days without poop....four days worth of poop. Thank you for indulging my story of Carter's poop soup.

Carticus

2008-03-01T21:27:00.000-06:00

When I went in to get Carter after his nap one day, this is how I found him. He looked like a character out of Julius Caesar or Sparticus, so I had to take his picture in his "toga".

Two Months Old Already

2008-03-01T21:10:00.000-06:00

I have been a little delayed in writing anything lately because things have been so busy. Carter had his two month "birthday" on the 21st and we went to the doctor. He had to have his first real round of shots and it was pure torture for me. He weighed 12 pounds 10 ounces which is in the 75th percent for his age. The real kicker is that he is 24 1/2 inches tall/long which is in the 93rd percent...meaning I have somehow had a tall kid. Carter was deemed perfectly healthy except that he hated getting his shots. Carter is smiling all of the time now and is so much more interactive than a month ago. More and more of Carter's personality shows everyday and it is so fun to get to know him. Carter is getting into more of a routine and we are all adjusting to me going back to work. We have survived my first week back and seem to have a sort of method to address the madness that is being working parents. It was hard to leave Carter, but thank goodness he is getting to stay with his grandmothers while I work.

My Funny Valentine

2008-02-14T21:34:00.001-06:00

Carter dressed for the occasion today to celebrate his first Valentine's Day. He was a pretty good sport while I took a ton of pictures of him. Apparently I just needed to become a parent to turn into to an obsessed photographer too! Carter and I hung out at home today together and he was all smiles (until I started taking pictures) so I guess he enjoyed Valentine's Day! I could not have asked for a cuter valentine.

Power Lunch

2008-02-13T21:03:00.000-06:00

Carter and I met Aunt SheShe (Shelby) for lunch this week. Shelby, of course, held him almost the entire time... she is getting pretty good at eating one-handed.

Vaughn and Carter

2008-02-04T13:23:00.000-06:00

After my last post Vaughn was really hoping that anyone who had not met him would think that was him in the coyote hat...but that was just the photo from the Cabela catalog. I have decided that in order to ensure that no one mistakes that awesome lumberjack guy for someone I would marry, I would include a few photos of Vaughn and Carter. The first photo is my pick--Vaughn and Carter in the nursery. The second is Vaughn's pick--yes he is pretending that our son is a gun.

Already Living Through His Son

2008-02-03T18:03:00.000-06:00

For the past few years at Christmas, Vaughn has talked to me in depth about wanting to buy a certain hat from Cabela's for himself or his brother as a gag gift. (Yes, Vaughn likes to buy gag gifts for himself.) As this hat is the head and skin of a coyote and as it is EXPENSIVE, I have, of course, vetoed any thought of purchasing it. This possible purchase is automatically vetoed anyway due to the sheer ugliness and distaste of it. Vaughn's dream came true a little bit the other day when Carter took this photo with his new puppy, Smitty. Carter beat his Dad to the punch with this puppy hat and has thus proven to already be cooler than his father.

Carter meets his first Baylor Girl

2008-02-03T09:39:00.000-06:00

Carter and I had lunch this week with three of my good friends from Baylor and it was quite clear that we are undeniably grown up. Two of us brought our children and another one is pregnant! It was so fun to catch up with Lauren, Amanda and Tifani, but Carter's favorite part was meeting Ella, Amanda's 4 month old daughter! Carter played it cool when he met Ella... he hardly moved while Ella danced around next to him. Ella is so cute and she is such a "talker"!

Carter's First Six Weeks Report Card

2008-02-03T09:24:00.000-06:00

Well Carter is six weeks old already! He has already changed so much. He is smiling a lot more each day, though we still can't make it happen on cue.... I think it's his way of getting us to act like idiots all of the time. He has such a personality... he loves the bath and loves getting a new clean diaper... he always has his middle finger sticking up and he "dances" to most music, but especially the Beatles... he is cooing now and loves to look around at other people and lights... he totally loves to be swaddled and nothing is cuter than a baby wrapped up like a burrito. He has excelled in his first six weeks!

A "friendly" push from Jack, too!

2008-01-18T14:56:00.001-06:00

A friendly "kiss" from Jack

2008-01-18T14:48:00.000-06:00

Three Generations

2008-01-18T14:33:00.000-06:00

Carter had his first play-date this week with Jack and it was the beginning of what is sure to be a life long friendship. Jack's grandmother, Teresa, and my mother have been friends since high school and Jack's mom, Morgan, and I have been friends since I was born. We are only five months apart and our boys are only three months apart. It is so cool to know that Carter already has a friend that he will have forever.

My First Bath

2008-01-09T23:21:00.000-06:00

Carter took his first bath, but he seemed to like warming up in his duck towel better than the bath itself!

Home For Christmas

2008-01-09T22:27:00.000-06:00

Carter Vaughn DuBroc officially joined the DuBroc Family on the 21st of December and we are so excited that he is finally here! Carter was 9 pounds and was 21 1/4 inches long and came after a very long labor. Carter had to go to the NICU for a few days because he had a pneumothorax, which means that there was air outside of his lung that kept his lung from expanding fully. The doctors told us that the pneumothorax is not uncommon, but we were pretty scared. Carter recovered very well and we visited him for every feeding while he could not stay with us. The hospital let us stay an extra day with Carter in our own room and then he was discharged to go home on Christmas Eve. We could not have asked for a better Christmas present: Carter was deemed healthy and we got to take him home before Christmas. Though we did not leave the house for the holidays, we had the best Christmas!