Showering of Love

I have been showered with love by my friends and family for two weekends with baby showers! It is so wonderful to have such great family and friends that care so much and want to share in such a wonderful time of my life! It was so great to hang out with all of you!

Thank you to all of you that have showered me and baby Carragan with gifts! I am truly blessed!

And a VERY special THANK YOU Ashlyn for hosting an awesome shower for me with all my girlfriends and neighbors! And another VERY special THANK YOU to Melissa, my cousin Mandy, and my Mom for hosting a shower for me and Carragan with family and friends! You all went out of the way to have perfect showers!












Getting measured up by Amy...the most "action" we both have seen in a while!

Thank you Kimberly for being so nice in your first measurement!

Congrats Amanda...you were right on!

Kimberly trying to judge how long the paper should be to fit around me

Mom and Grandma chugging away at their juice cups trying to win the prize!

Some of the neighborhood ladies well on their way to winning...others getting side tracked with Kimberly's attempts to cheat!

What an awesome bunch of gals...including Ashlyn!

Adorable pacifiers for the baby name game! I love the pink and black theme! It was so cute!

Yummy white chocolate fondue!

What an awesome spread of food and adorable pink and black arrangements!

This cake is so neat...I have never seen one like this before. The Cake Man did a great job and Ashlyn what a cute idea!

I got so many nice and much needed gifts at both showers! Little Carragan is going to be set!

Thanks guys for making this shower so beautiful and sweet! I am loving all the pink!

What a pretty arrangement of the table with Tulle (not sure I spelled that right) with pink flowers and baby accessories...I need some of this arrangement talent to rub off on me!

Thanks Mama for all your hard work in making this cake! It is so cute and tasted so yummy!

You all really out did yourselves...thank you! Both showers will be cherished! I hope I can someday do the same for some of you ;)

Great Report...GOD IS SO GOOD!

Today I had another u/s and doctor visit that I was very nervous about. For the past week or two, I feel like Carragan is really low (movements well below my belly) but yet I feel her kicking my ribs too. I was so expecting the u/s of my cervix to bear bad news which would lead to me being put on bed rest over the holidays (which is unbearable to think about with CR and the fact that we have to live on all levels of my house). Anyways...I was worried for nothing! GOD IS SO GOOD!

Not only has my cervix not thinned any, which the Dr. was certain to have happened, but it is actually thicker than the last u/s check! HOW AMAZING...I didn't even know that could happen! So instead of the 3.something cm that it was last time...it is now 4cm (and no signs of "funneling" which is AWESOME for this time in my pregnancy! She may be a February baby after all...the Dr. was very pleased with the results and feels like we will make it (at least til January).

I also got some really neat 3D shots of her. I can't wait to get them posted once I can get to K's parents house and get them scanned. She looks so much like CR that is crazy...well from these pics anyways. Can't wait to share these pics of my little posing baby girl!

Thanks to all of you that have been praying for me and this baby girl! The prayers are really paying off...even the Dr.'s are surprised. Isn't it amazing what God can do when we turn things over to Him and trust in Him!

The Invisible Mom

I received this in an e-mail from two friends, and I couldn't help but share. I just loved this. Hopefully it will touch your heart as it did mine.


It all began to make sense, the blank stares, the lack of response, the way one of the kids will walk into the room while I'm on the phone and ask to be taken to the store. Inside I'm thinking, 'Can't you see I'm on the phone?' Obviously not; no one can see if I'm on the phone, or cooking, or sweeping the floor, or even standing on my head in the corner, because no one can see me at all. I'm invisible. The invisible Mom. Some days I am only a pair of hands, nothing more! Can you fix this? Can you tie this? Can you open this?? Some days I'm not a pair of hands; I'm not even a human being. I'm a clock to ask, 'What time is it?' I'm a satellite guide to answer, 'What number is the Disney Channel?' I'm a car to order, 'Right around 5:30, please.' I was certain that these were the hands that once held books and the eyes that studied history and the mind that graduated summa cum laude -but now, they had disappeared into the peanut butter, never to be seen again. She's going, she's going, she's gone!? One night, a group of us were having dinner, celebrating the return of a friend from England . Janice had just gotten back from a fabulous trip, and she was going on and on about the hotel she stayed in. I was sitting there, looking around at the others all put together so well. It was hard not to compare and feel sorry for myself. I was feeling pretty pathetic, when Janice turned to me with a beautifully wrapped package, and said, 'I brought you this.' It was a book on the great cathedrals of Europe . I wasn't exactly sure why she'd given it t o me until I read her inscription: 'To Charlotte, with admiration for the greatness of what you are building when no one sees.' In the days ahead I would read - no, devour - the book. And I would discover what would become for me, four life-changing truths, after which I could pattern my work: No one can say who built the great cathedrals - we have no record of their names. These builders gave their whole lives for a work they would never see finished. They made great sacrifices and expected no credit. The passion of their building was fueled by their faith that the eyes of God saw everything. A legendary story in the book told of a rich man who came to visit the cathedral while it was being built, and he saw a workman carving a tiny bird on the inside of a beam. He was puzzled and asked the man, 'Why are you spending so much time carving that bird into a beam that will be covered by the roof, No one will ever see it. And the workman replied, 'Because God sees.' I closed the book, feeling the missing piece fall into place. It was almost as if I heard God whispering to me, 'I see you, Charlotte. I see the sacrifices you make every day, even when no one around you does. No act of kindness you've done, no sequin you've sewn on, no cupcake you've baked, is too small for me to notice and smile over. You are building a great cathedral, but you can't see right now what it will become. At times, my invisibility feels like an affliction. But it is not a disease that is erasing my life. It is the cure for the disease of my own self-centeredness. It is the antidote to my strong, stubborn pride. I keep the right perspective when I see myself as a great builder. As one of the people who show up at a job that they will never see finished, to work on something that their name will never be on. The writer of the book went so far as to say that no cathedrals could ever be built in our lifetime because there are so few people willing to sacrifice to that degree. When I really think about it, I don't want my son to tell the friend he's bringing home from college for Thanksgiving, 'My Mom gets up at 4 in the morning and bakes homemade pies, and then she hand bastes a turkey for 3 hours and presses all the linens for the table.' That would mean I'd built a shrine or a monument to myself. I just want him to want to come home. And then, if there is anything more to say to his friend, to add, 'You're gonna love it there.' As mothers, we are building great cathedrals. We cannot be seen if we're doing it right. And one day, it is very possible that the world will marvel, not only at what we have built, but at the beauty that has been added to the world by the sacrifices of invisible women.

Great Job, MOM! Share this with all the Invisible Moms you know... I just did. This is beautiful and makes a ton of sense. To all the wonderful mothers out there.

I am in much debt to my invisible Mother..

Third Trimester Here with Vengance

My second trimester was such a joy...bringing me energy, cute round belly, easily felt baby movements, and good feelings. However, my third trimester is already scaring me and it just started! Already in the past few days I have had major changes in my feelings. I feel like I can't function without a nap daily/get tired so easily, while having back pain/uncomfortable body feelings, and a baby foot in my ribs. I was enjoying my second trimester so much that I was hoping that I would feel that good for at least another month or so. Now I am not sure and very nervous thinking that it may be a return of the "dreaded end" as with CR. I sure hope she stays in the oven a while (at least until after the holidays) despite my being uncomfortable!

Right now, things seem to be fine with her. I had a Dr. appt. this morning, and although they didn't check my cervix, everything went well. He wants to see me back next week with an u/s to check my cervical length. I am keeping my fingers (and legs) crossed hoping that all is great. I can't imagine being on bed rest or in hospital during the holidays. I already feel like such a fragile egg, but the Dr. reiterated that point this AM...reminding me that K and I should stay "away" from each other and I need to pick and choose my adventurous outings that require me to walk a lot/little rest (both things that could make me go into labor). He said if I am not careful I will be in the hospital during the holidays. So...I guess I better take it easy! So, I am trying to debate whether going to the Clemson game this weekend is worth it! I REALLY want to go and it would be such a great get-a-way for K and I.

Decisions...decisions! I just wish I could have a normal pregnancy!

Day Trip

My family has always been fond of day trips. As a child, it was never a surprise for my parents to load us into the car and take off for the day. It used to be so frustrating to me as a kid to never know where I might end up, but these days I wish I could do more of them. Yesterday, we (my parents, grandma, and I)took CR on his first trip to the mountains to pick apples. My parents have been wanting to take him all season, and yesterday seemed like the perfect day. CR was so excited until he saw the mountains from a distance in the car...then he was afraid thinking that we had to climb that mountain and it didn't help Granda told him their were bears in the mountains. After making him realize we didn't have to "climb" straight up the mountain and no bears, he was ready to proceed. We had an AWESOME time! On our way home, he thanked Mema and Granda for taking him to the mountains. Bless his heart...he is such a sweet boy that appreciates things so much. We really do need to make it a point to do more day trips...they are so nice and refreshing!

CR thinks he is a big boy standing on a rock at a park in Lake Lure

Thanks to some little boy that shared his bread, CR was excited to feed the ducks even though a sign said don't do it...the little boy was too nice to turn down.
The scenery was beautiful! We couldn't have picked a better day (weather) and time (colors of leaves were amazing!

I think CR would have stayed at this park all day! He kept finding things to do.

When we first got there, we were "greeted" by this helicopter coming over the mountain. CR was enthralled!


The pictures do no justice at how beautiful the leaves were

Posing for a shot at the apple orchard before heading out to find some apples. We were not able to find many apples because it is so late in the apple season and the fact that they had a snow last week with winds 30-40 m/hr. There were lots on the ground which made for a sweet fragrance as we walked around the orchard.

CR ready to go with his apple picking basket. He loves picking stuff from a garden and helping plant stuff.

CR samples a find

Showing Mommy he finally found one

Such a big boy...he takes off through the orchard

Granda helping CR with his finds

Truly an amazing view of the orchard and surrounding mountains. It was so peaceful and surreal out here.

CR had a ton of fun back at the orchard checkout station with the wagons. We ended up buying apples instead of picking many. They are so yummy...I can't wait to make some goodies!

House on top of mountain at Lake Lure park


CR takes a break from his wagons to take a fall pic

Mema wanted to stop for cider, so CR got a chance to "drive" an old tractor. He was "taking me my dad on a hayride". We had to pry him off! Such simple things make him happy and occupy him.

He was telling me I better sit down on the hayride or I was going to get in trouble.

Finally Done!

CR's big boy room is finally done and (knock on wood) he is liking it so much that he is sleeping better in it. My nesting has really kicked in and I have even managed to get K on board. This past weekend, we hung up the rest of the stuff in CR's room, pictures in the kid's bathroom, cleaned out our TV room closet, and our "attic". Things are finally coming together and I am feeling more at ease about things being completed before Carragan's arrival. I sure hope I can hold on to this nesting stuff for a while longer....I could get used to this productivity!

Fair treatment of schools...even with pictures of both stadiums in his room. I am finally glad to have somewhere to hang these pictures. I felt like they were being wasted just sitting around.

His name (that was in his nursery) is also up above the closet doors.

I can't believe my little boy is big enough to have a big boy room. As I look at the little teeth marks on the end of his bed (that he gnawed on when it was his crib) it makes me so sad. Where did the time go? It seems like yesterday he was wearing preemie clothes and we were having to roll the sleeves on those. When I looked back at some of those Sunday while going through some clothes it is unbelievable that he was that small and helpless at one time. My little boy is growing up too fast!

Celebrating the Season

Halloween has become my most unliked holiday. As a kid of course I loved getting a pumpkin/carving a jack-o-lantern, dressing up, trick-or-treating, eating the goodies, teenage parties/dances, and even the occasional haunted house. However, as I grow older, the more and more I don't like it. It is such a money bracketed insane holiday! So, although I will allow CR to celebrate Halloween because I did enjoy some parts of it and it provided some fond memories as I kid, I prefer to celebrate the season. Below are some things we did to help do this, instead of just celebrating Halloween.

CR helping drive the neighborhood hayride at our neighborhood Fall Festival. Thanks Mr. Gregg for such a cool ride!

Enjoying playing with neighbors at our neighborhood Fall Festival...this moon jump kept him busy for a while. It was so nice to have a neighborhood gathering to visit with neighbors and meet new ones. We even decided to carry the "party" on to the house afterwards where we finally got to have some time to get to know some of our neighbors while watching TN get their tails kicked. Glad the company was good...it helped keep K preoccupied from the bad game.

Carragan gets to join in on the fun too!

I had to take a picture of Lay's cute face painting. This "clown" was an awesome face painter. Too bad CR doesn't like anything on his face/skin. Thank goodness I am having a girl that may enjoy this kind of stuff!

My little cowboy! Finally CR decided what he wanted to be...yet another reason I don't like Halloween. Wednesday night I decide that we better pull out CR's football pants/outfit to make sure it all fits etc. since that is what he wanted to be for Halloween and was supposed to wear his costume to school the next day. Thank goodness I did...I couldn't find the pants that actually fit him and his helmet needed major work. So, we went with plan C and D! He just wore a pumpkin shirt to school and we had to start at square one with the costume. I gave him a few more choices and seeked costumes from friends! After looking at "costumes R us" and nothing meeting his approval, we went with a motor cross driver and had everything all set (borrowing stuff from Lay). Then at the last minute, he changes his mind again to another given choice...a cowboy. Thank goodness I already had most of the components. I did go to the Dollar Store for a holster and gun and Cooper allowed us to borrow some boots. Thanks also to my grandmother for the last minute sewing of a vest! The costume turned out cute despite our last minute efforts and he was so happy! Whew...I am glad that is over and I know next year to plan more in advance!

Visiting Mema's and Granda's to show off his cowboy attire.

Painting pumpkins with mommy

CR and Dada go down a slide at Mema's and Granda's church festival.

Playing games at the festival....he had so much fun until they started the bonfire. Then it was time to go home... he was ready to leave immediately!

Helping Granda with the hayride at the church festival.
Having fun on the "train"

Finished Jack!

CR helping clean out the pumpkin...he loved making the mess!

Checking to make sure the pumpkin is cleaned out