11 months old!

Caroline is 11 months old today! I cannot believe we will be celebrating her one-year birthday in one month. How exciting! Some more exciting news.....Caroline started walking this week! She has been taking a couple steps and walking holding onto things or our hands for the last few weeks, but this week she is walking on her own. She stands up on her own and takes off! It is so cute to see her teetering around. Here are some recent pictures of our girl (sorry, none of these pictures are of her walking, but I will post some of those soon).


Family picture before church on Sunday. Caroline is wearing the sweet dress that Jennifer gave her after her baby dedication.


Caroline and Puppy




Our little golfer. Tripp is starting her out young! He is thinking that by 3 years old she will be golfing with him??? Notice she is wearing her Masters onesie. Tripp and I bought this for Caroline at the Masters last April when I was 8 months pregnant.

Fun Weekend!

This weekend was my best friend Jennifer's baby shower. She is having a girl! Her name is Charlotte. I had so much fun planning for the shower, and it turned out just perfect. My Mom and Aunt Dodo came to Huntsville on Thursday to help me get my house shower-ready! Of course Caroline has taken over almost every room in our house with her toys and things, so I had a lot of cleaning up to do! I could not have done it without my Mom and Aunt. They were so helpful. Thank you, thank you, thank you! We all had a great time at the shower, and Charlotte got so many beautiful things. Here are some pictures from the shower (courtesy of Jennifer).


Jennifer with the shower hostesses


Me and the Mom-to-be


I thought the cake and the diaper cake turned out so cute! (I, of course, did not make the real cake, but I did make the diaper cake.)

Easter Weekend

We had a wonderful time in Mississippi over Easter weekend. We got to spend a lot of time with our family, and Caroline enjoyed every minute! We arrived in Jackson on Friday night and hung out with Winnie and Granddaddy Dixon. On Saturday, all the girls (me, my sister, Puppy, Winnie, and Caroline) went to lunch together while the boys played golf. Then Winnie kept Caroline so my sister and I could do some shopping! Saturday night we went to my parents' house for dinner with all of my family. On Sunday morning, we went to FBC of Jackson and then ate Easter lunch with Tripp's family. Sunday afternoon we went over to my Aunt Dodo's house to celebrate Easter with my family. As you can see, it was a busy weekend! It was such a blessing to me to share Easter with our family, especially Caroline's first Easter. Below are some pictures from the weekend.


Caroline's Easter basket filled with goodies


Unloading her basket


Our family on Easter morning


Caroline with her cousin Melissa. She is wearing the sunglasses that Melissa gave her for Easter!


The sisters! People always ask us if we are twins we when are together. (I always take that as a compliment since Lesley looks like a model most of the time!)


Caroline with her great-grandparents, Gomme and Dandy

Happy Easter!

We are traveling to Mississippi today to celebrate Caroline's first Easter with our family. I am so excited to be going home for Easter. It is going to be a quick trip, but I am looking forward to it! We installed Caroline's new car seat and we have a DVD player in the Jeep now, so I am hoping the ride will be easier for her. She looks so comfortable riding in her big new seat! Here are some pictures of Caroline's Easter basket. I thought it turned out so cute.




I am looking forward to Caroline's first Easter egg hunt on Sunday! This is a picture of the smocking on her Easter dress (I do not have any pics of her wearing the dress yet. I will post some after Easter).


As you know, today is Good Friday. I have been very emotional this morning thinking about Jesus and the sacrifice He made for me on the cross. The words to one of my Granddaddy Smith's favorite hymns keeps running through my mind this morning.

"On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross, the emblem of suffering and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain; So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown"

"In that old rugged cross, stained with blood so divine, A wondrous beauty I see,
For twas on that old cross Jesus suffered and died,
To pardon and sanctify me; So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down; I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown"

On a final note, here are some recent pictures of Caroline.









Happy Easter!

"For He made Him who know no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him." II Corinthians 5:21

Rosemary Beach

Tripp and I had a wonderful Spring Break vacation to Rosemary Beach with our friends Jason and Jennifer. The trip was so relaxing and I got more sleep than have I gotten in the past 10 months! Jennifer's parents rented a beach house and it was so nice (thank you, Miss Cindy and Mr. Ronny!). We had never been to Rosemary Beach before, but now I hope to go back very soon. It is such a quaint, classy community with great local restaurants and shops. And the beach was breathtaking! Of course, Tripp and I missed Caroline so much. We were only gone for 4 nights, but it felt like we had not seen Caroline in forever. She had a great time, though, with Puppy and Granddaddy! She learned several new tricks from her grandparents while we were away. She can now brush her hair or your hair, and she is eating her puffs cereal! Thank you, Mr. Ronny, Miss Cindy, Jennifer, Jason, and Charlie for such a fun Spring Break! And thank you, Puppy and Granddaddy, for keeping Caroline so we could go!


Jennifer and I waiting for a table at The Red Bar in Grayton Beach


Group picture before going to dinner at Chops 30A


Someone is missing from this family picture!


I love this picture of Jenn and me. She is so beautiful pregnant!


I have to post one picture of the house in Rosemary Beach. This is the front yard of the house -- a pool!

Playing!

Here are a few pictures of Caroline playing with some of her favorite toys.





Caroline is very tall for her age, and she can reach almost anything. It amazes me how if she wants something she will find a way to get it! Here she is pulling all of her books off of her bookshelf.





Tripp and I had to work this past weekend, so Winnie and Granddaddy came to Huntsville to keep Caroline. They brought her the cutest Easter basket filled with goodies! Caroline especially loved the pink crinkly paper that filled the basket. She pulled every piece out! I am still finding strips of pink paper everywhere!

Scale Back Alabama

Since January, I have been participating in "Scale Back Alabama". There are 4 people on a team and each team member weighs in and after 10 weeks weighs out. If every member of the team loses at least 10 pounds, you are entered in drawings to win several prizes, such as cash and ETO. My team was called "Baby Fat" and consisted of me and 3 other pharmacists (2 other moms and 1 dad, trying to lose their baby fat!). So, for the past 10 weeks I have been trying to eat healthy and exercise when I can. I have not eaten french fries for 10 weeks, and I have not even had a Cadbury egg (my favorite, favorite candy!). Yesterday I weighed out, and I am happy to report that I lost 14 pounds! Yea!!! I did not want to let my team down! The only problem now is many of my clothes are too big. I may just have to go shopping and buy some new spring and summer clothes! (Or I might just eat about 20 Cadbury eggs and put the weight right back on! Hopefully not!)

Tripp and I are off to Rosemary Beach today with our friends, Jason and Jennifer. We are so excited about the trip! Puppy and Granddaddy are coming to Huntsville to keep Caroline while we are gone. We are going to miss her so much. 4 nights away from our precious daughter seems like an eternity, but I know we will have a great time. And more importantly, Caroline will be spoiled rotten while we are gone!