Hurricane.

I was thinking about how to express my thoughts about this last week, well really about the past two months and the two months to come, and I came up with two titles, "spoiled" or "hurricane." I chose hurricane, but it's not as pessimistic as you might think at first glance. Here is why I picked the title.

Life has been crazy at our home for Mike since January and busy season began. This really isn't a surprise because it is Mike's fourth busy season, and his dad is an accountant so I had somewhat of an idea what was to come. Normally, when his client filed last week, we would have made it through the worst part of busy season. Mike would be home before midnight and we would start having Saturdays again. This week has been heaven sent because this is exactly what has happened. Mike came home early on Monday to watch Carter while I went to the airport. He's slept in later so Carter and I briefly get to see him in the morning, and he makes it home in time to have a late dinner with me and we also got a chance to watch Big Brother together. The best part was tonight he was able to leave before rush hour and we met him for dinner and he was home to help with Carters bath. I feel so blessed to see my husband again. I must admit I have been pretty lonely the last two months. I feel so refreshed to be able to spend time with my best friend. Just to sit with him on the coach and hold hands has been enough to make me giggle and put butterflies in my tummy.

Here is when the hurricane title comes in. My mom was in town last weekend and she commented on how great it was that things would continue to be mellow for Mike. That we should be able to see him more and that he'll have time to himself again. Think again, this is only a rare glimpse of Mike. We are in the "eye" of the storm. The calm, peaceful break between the other side of the storm. Starting Monday Mike will make his way to join the tax section of PwC and will embark on the second part of busy season. We're excited for him and know that this is a good move that will help to make Mike more well rounded and enhance his career. He's excited to try his hand at something new and I'm sure he'll do great. With this being said, I have thoroughly enjoyed our time in the "eye" and will be sure to take advantage of the last two days of the peaceful moments we'll have to spend time as a family over the weekend. Come Monday morning we'll be back in the hurricane of busy season and will look forward to seeing Mike come April. :)

PS. So I changed our blog header again for the month of March. This is what I can't decide. Should I leave the sides of the blog green or change it to blue? I'm also undecided on the header, it feels really light. Maybe I need something richer in color. Any suggestions?

*The picture of Mike and Carter was taken last night. It's not Mike's favorite picture of himself, but I thought the matching huge smiles on both of their faces was classic and this picture really shows how much Carter looks like him.

Weekend Wrap.

It's been a very exciting and action packed week at the Dille house. My mom came into town last Wednesday and left last night. Mike also was home for the weekend, finally! His client filed last week so he was able to have a little time off this weekend as well. So, like I said, we had a very full weekend. Trying to balance time with grandma and Mike proved to be a challenge and now they're both gone and it's back to just Carter and I. My mom's back in Virginia and Mike headed back to work yesterday. Luckily Mikes's not as busy this week and has been home early compared to his hours in January. Still not early enough to see Carter, but early enough that I'm not already in dream land and incoherent.

When my mom comes to visit I always have these great intentions to take lots of pictures... and it never happens. I take my camera with us and just never take it out of my bag. Does anyone else do this or just me? Maybe I just don't want to be the weirdo at the mall or restaurant snapping pictures. I wish I was. So, for lack of fun grandma pictures, here are a few pictures from Carter this week.

He had a rough weekend. All of a sudden he decided that he wants to be independent and stubborn and has refused to take a bottle. Oh, and he is also throwing mini tantrums when you take something away from him or move him away from something that may hurt him. He's so busy and it is so hard to get him to sit still. On high note, he still lets me put him in the exercauser on occasion, which is a relief because I know I can leave the room for a minute and he will be in the same spot when I come back. The first picture is of him standing in his nursery digging in his basket of toys. The next one is in our bedroom. One afternoon he discovered the window and was laughing as he watched the cars go by. He's a smart little guy and with his stubborn streak we're sure he's a Dille. :) I'm just hoping that being back in our normal routine this week will lead to a more rested and predictable Carter. And yes, I'm hoping and praying he'll start to take his bottle again.

This is for you Mom... Thank you for coming to stay with me for the weekend. I'm sad that the trip was so short, but glad we were able to spend some quality time together and you were able to get to know Carter better. We miss having you around but know that sooner or later you'll move here. :) Well, we hope you move here eventually. Thank you for taking us to lunch, for shopping with us at the mall, getting your hair done with me at the salon, for coming with us to the gym and enduring the hardest class they offer with me, and for watching Carter while Mike and I taught third hour at church. Thank you for getting me that great Sunday dress, I only wish Sunday came more often or I had more opportunities to get dressed up. Thank you for being you and loving us for who we are with all of our quirky traits, rash moments and sometimes moody ways. I wish Virginia wasn't so far. We love you and miss you. Come back soon!

Another Sunday.

Another Sunday has come and gone and I can't help but feel a little sad. I always feel so spoiled on Sundays. Mike is home and is there to help with Carter, and is just home in general and available to be with me and not so obligated to work. Since Carter was born we've had this not so traditional family tradition, where all three of us snuggle in bed in our pj's for the morning. I know it sounds lame and maybe even a waste of time, but I truly cherish the time we get to snuggle and be together. I think Carter loves it too. He's so active and hard to keep still these days and I think he finds the legs, arms, pillows and blankets great obstacles to climb over.


Like I said, Carter is all over the place these days. Put him down and turn around and he's gone. While we were cooking lunch he chased the dogs and us around the island. Mike gave in and gave him a pot and lid to play with. Who knew this would provide such entertainment. He was completely enthralled with the lid and I believe it held his attention and kept him in one spot for nearly half an hour. It's so neat to see him explore things and I always wonder what he's thinking. It must be so exciting to see everything for the first time. This phase of exploration is also keeping me on my toes. I'm constantly chasing after him and racing him to pick up something that the dogs dragged into the house before he manages to put it in his mouth. What he really loves is the door to the dog kennel. It is just his size and perfect for him to pull up on and stand. This makes me nervous the kennel door swings and isn't very sturdy for our little guy to attempt to stand with. And for the most part he is prone to bumping his head so he really needs to be hanging onto the ottoman and coach where if he falls there's less likelihood of a bruise developing on his forehead.

It was a beautiful Sunday, the sun was shining and it was a perfect 70 degrees. I don't think we could have ordered a more perfect day. I remind myself why I love Houston, I love the winter months and therefore tolerate the summer. Since we had stake conference we were home all afternoon and took our little family on a walk. It had been a while since we took the dogs out. Mike has been working such long hours and to take both dogs and the stroller would be too much for me. It would take just one squirrel or another dog to entice our dogs to pull too hard and I'm sure I would topple over with the stroller. So here is a picture of Carter before our walk. He kept his hat on the entire time we were out. Thank you Tara and Jon for the baby baseball cap to keep us in touch with my Northern Virginia/DC roots.

We're looking forward to the week. Mike should also be more available after Wednesday so that I am also excited about. Carter loves to spend time with Mike and I know Mike loves to play with him too. During the week when he gets home Carter is already asleep and when he leaves in the morning Carter is usually still asleep. He works so hard and we really appreciate him!

My mom gets into town on Wednesday and I am so excited to spend time with her and show off Carter. Last time she saw him was Thanksgiving and he's grown so much since then. I'm also excited to have some girl time with her. She's the best shopping partner a girl could ask for and when we shop there is always a trip out to lunch which I always love. I don't know why it's so much fun to go out to eat, but I love it. Something about fountain coke that puts a smile on my face. :)

Celebrating.

Celebrating Valentine's Day

We celebrated Valentines Day as a family last night. This was the first time in four years (since moving to Houston) that Mike and I actually saw each other on Valentine’s Day. This is Mike’s busy season at work and his client usually files right around this time so he is constantly working crazy hours. In the years before, he would hide something in the house for me and then call me that night and tell me where to find it... pretty cute, huh? Last night, the three of us went to Chipotle for dinner. Nothing fancy, just fast casual and an atmosphere conducive to having a baby jibber jabber at the top of his lungs. :) Here Carter is waiting in line with us. He was a little flirt, smiling at all the ladies in line. When we came home Mike was great and gave Carter a bath for me and then we made home made sugar cookies in the shape of hearts with pink frosting. I have to admit we out did ourselves- they are heavenly! Thank you Charlotte for the great frosting recipe.

Tulips

To my surprise Mike got me red tulips. I was so excited! He's not much into buying flowers. In college he would pick them for me and leave them in my car. The first time he "bought" me flowers was when we got engaged and he splurged on red roses. I think the tulips are a great change from the Valentines norm of roses and hopefully they'll last longer. How can you not look at tulips and be happy. It meant a lot to me that he even thought about getting me flowers when he has been working so much. Thanks Mike!


I'm usually the one behind the camera but last night Mike took some time to snatch a few of just Carter and I. We had a great Valentines Day. It's not everday that you get to spend time with your two favorite guys.

I feel so blessed in my life right now. Is every day perfect? No. Do we have our own trials? Yes. But through it all, I feel like we are at such a good point in our lives, right now, at this very moment. It's amazing how much things have changed for me. I love being home. I use to be such a high strung person, always too anxious and driven by fast approaching deadlines. That's not too say I'm still not anxious or a little high strung, :) but being a mom has been such a blessing and a much needed to change to who I am. I feel happy in my own skin, with whom I am and who I hope to become. I feel more complete, like this is the role I was meant to be in. To be a supportive and loving wife and mother. I know I may not always feel this way, but today I was thinking about the Lord's hand in my life and in doing so I have felt an overwhelming feeling of peace and joy. I hope this feeling never leaves.

Val.

Happy Birthday Val!
Today is Mike's dad, Vals birthday. Cute story, Val was born on Valentines Day at St. Valentines Hospital. So it was only fitting that he was named Val. :) We hope you have a wonderful birthday and get a small break from taxes to enjoy it! We wish we were closer to help you celebrate. We miss you and love you too!

HaPpY VaLeNtiNes DaY!

Birthday Wishes.

HaPpY BiRtHDaY MoM!

We turn not older with years, but newer every day. ~Emily Dickinson

May your day be full of happiness and fun. We miss you and can't wait to see you next week!

Another Week.

Another week has flown by and like usual Carter is keeping us on our toes. This week he moved from his knees to pulling all the way up on his tippy toes. We've also discoverd that he is a climber - I turned around Thursday to find him climbing onto the treadmill in our room - yikes! And this morning both Mike and I have learned the lesson that if there is something hard in the room Carter will find it and make contact with his head... long story short, we iced his head twice this morning and he already has two war wounds on his forehead in the way of bruises and red marks. Our little man is in desperate need of a baby helmet - any ideas or suggestions? Here he is pulling up... enjoy!

I feel like there must have been more exciting things happening in our little family this week, but for the most part it's the same old same old. Mike is still super busy at work and hasn't had a Saturday off since Decemeber. Carter and I are getting a lot of time together and Mike spends quality time with him Saturday night and on Sundays. The weather has been perfect in Houston, in the 70's and bright and sunny. It's days like today that remind us why we moved south. Here's to another perfect week. :)

Eight is Great.

Carter's 8 Months Today!

I'm having a hard time believing our little man is 8 months today. It's truly amazing how quickly time flies by and how fast babies change. I really do love being a stay at home mommy. It was a hard adjustment at first but I'm so grateful to be there with him every time he reaches a new milestone. I'm grateful that I can be there when he's sick, when he's happy and when he needs some extra TLC. I look forward to each morning and watching him grow. I thought I would take a moment to share some things we've learned about our little man over the past 8 months. Here goes...

Carter Loves.

• Bananas, applesauce, pears, mixed fruits, squash, sweet potatoes and corn.
• Gerber Finger Foods. The little cheerio things that melt in your mouth, I can't remember the name.
• Yellow Ducks. He loves them in and out of the bath. They even had one at the photo studio that he loved today.
• The gym. He loves everything about it, the kids club and watching all of the crazy people run on the treadmills. Oh, and the monstrous ceiling fan at the gym.
• Wind. The real kind or just when you blow in his face. He immediately opens his mouth into a big smile and closes his eyes. It's pretty cute.
• Paper. See post below.
• Tags and Straps on anything! Bags, boppy, high chair and car seat... You get the point.
• Raspberries. Not the fruit, the ones you make with your mouth. He loves them on his tummy and cheeks.
• Other kiddos. He loves to watch other babies and little kids. He's a social butterfly already. I believe this is why he loves the gym so much and going over to the Ramages.
• Tickles. On his tummy and under his arms.
• Pacifiers. He can spot them from a mile away. He only gets them in his crib, at the gym and at church. Last night I put two in his crib because his new thing is to throw them in the morning, he immediately crawled to the other end of the crib, grabbed the second pacifier and tried to shove it in his mouth, mind you he was already sucking on the other one. :)

Carter Dislikes.

• Spaghettios, Carrots... pretty much anything to eat that's dark orange or red.
• Getting out of the bath.
• This week, he doesn't like going to bed. Normally, he doesn't mind. Go figure.

Accomplishments.

• Rolling over and over and over.
• Crawling.
• Sitting by himself and being able to go from crawling to sitting and vice versa.
• Pulling up and standing on his knees.
• Sleeping through the night.
• Feeding himself finger foods.
• Two bottom teeth.

Helping.

Mike had to work again on Saturday so Carter and I spent the day at home "cleaning" up and Carter spent a lot of the day "helping" me. Here are a few candids from our afternoon.

We have been accumulating a large pile of "shred" papers and haven't had a chance to take care of them yet. Carter was very helpful in getting a headstart on the pile....
After he tackled paper shredding, Carter moved onto helping clean out Mike's work bag. Usually he is so fascinated with the straps to this bag he doesn't make it "inside" of the bag, but yesterday he found something that sparked his interest...

Thank you little man for helping me today and making me smile. Mike was sorry he missed it, but I promised him today would be just as exciting. :)

Pink.

It's February and in light of the month and Valentines Day I've given our blog a "love" makeover. Lots of pink... I now have two boys in the house so the opportunity to adorn pink is limited, therefore I plan to take advantage of the month. Here are a few quotes that will make you laugh and a few that will leave you warm and fuzzy in preperation for the 14th. Hugs, A

I don't understand why Cupid was chosen to represent Valentine's Day. When I think about romance, the last thing on my mind is a short, chubby toddler coming at me with a weapon. ~Author Unknown

For you see, each day I love you more. Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.~Rosemonde Gerard

Love - a wildly misunderstood although highly desirable malfunction of the heart which weakens the brain, causes eyes to sparkle, cheeks to glow, blood pressure to rise and the lips to pucker. ~Author Unknown

Love is a symbol of eternity. It wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning and all fear of an end. ~Author Unknown