Don't sit back & complain...do something about it!!!

Prior to doing our baby registry at Target, I emailed them regarding their ridiculous return policy. You were allowed 2 total returns that were under $20, even if you had a registry there. I emailed them at least twice saying that they should allow you to return items off your registry. Their response was that if you receive duplicate items, ask the person for the reciept! Are you kidding? Who does that? I've already used my 2 returns and used one of Aaron's.
Well, Aaron is an avid reader of the site consumerist.com and discovered that Target has indeed changed their return policy!!! You are now allowed 2 returns of items off your registry up to $150!!! This is HUGE NEWS!!! As I hung up the phone with the nice Target lady, I just had to pat myself on the back for doing something about the problem. It's one thing to complain and see no changes but it's another to do something about it in hopes of change!!! I actually have several things that I still would like to return off my registry so I am pretty excited! Do I have any need for 15 hooded towels?! :)

Please pass this exciting news onto friends & family!

Our 4th Anniversary

Aaron and I celebrated our 4 year anniversary yesterday! :) Carter hung out with my mom while we went to dinner & a movie. I had been craving Ragazzi's since before Carter was born so I was excited to eat there. Aaron and I have really been trying hard to save money so we haven't been eating out nearly as much! Before Kung Fu Panda, we went to Kmart. I know, neither are very romantic but Kmart normally has NC State baby clothes(and we were close by)! We found a cute 'Future Wolfpack' onesie for Carter & Aaron found a wheel barrow...which he had been searching all over craigslist for recently. The wheel barrow was only $11!!! (That's good for a wheel barrow!) Kung Fu Panda was ok. I was really hoping it was going to be really funny...no such luck! We had a good evening anyway!
Earlier this month, we bought a pond (off craigslist--it's the place to shop) as our joint anniversary present and decided that was all. It's still a work in progress. The water is in and pumping but the extras haven't been added. Aaron did manage to pick me up my favorite cupcake & a willow tree angel for our special day. :)
I am so grateful for Aaron, not only as my husband but as Carter's daddy. Aaron is amazing as both! :)

Carter's friend Gabriel

Carter & Gabriel
aka Hoss & Tiny (named by our Pastor)

Gabriel is the son of our good friends, Josh & Jennifer. Gabriel was due June 5th but was born about 7 weeks premature. Gabriel makes Carter looks HUGE!

Carter's 1st trip to the pool

I think Carter enjoyed his first trip to the pool...He didn't scream so I think that's a good sign! :) His car float is big for him now but he did manage to have his feet & some of his legs in the water. It wasn't until he was out of the water that he flashed some smiles. Better luck next time. :)

Off to see Josh play...

On Sunday, Aaron, Derrick (my brother) and I ventured off to DC to see Josh Hamilton play. I went to high school with Josh & Josh's dad & brother coached my brother so we've known of Josh's talents & story for a long time! I love Raleigh celebrities...Clay Aiken, Josh Hamilton, Graham from the Bachelorette... :)

If you want to hear some of Josh's story...read here (or search online!). If you know it or don't feel like reading...skip down to the next paragraph...
JOsh was the #1 draft pick in Major League Baseball in 1999 right out of high school, my high school. :) He spent the next few years at the minor league level with his parents by his side. In 2001, Josh was involved in a car accident. His mother was also injured in the accident, and she went home with her husband to rehab her injuries. The 2001 season was also when he began experimenting with drugs. He played a little off and on over the next 2 years and battled injuries. At the start of the 2003 season, he showed up late several times during spring training and was reassigned to the team's minor league camp. He left the team and resurfaced several times, but eventually took the rest of the season off for personal reasons. Josh was hoping to return to spring training with the Devil Rays in 2004, but he was suspended 30 days and fined for violating the drug policy put in place by MLB. Because of the length of his suspension, and the terms of the drug policy, He must have failed two or more drug tests after being put into the program. A 'failed' test is a positive result for a drug more severe than marijuana. This suspension was increased several times after repeated violations of the terms of the program. From 2002 until 2006, Hamilton did not play baseball at all. Josh was selected third overall in the MLB portion of the 2006 Rule 5 Draft by the Chicago Cubs, as the Rays had not placed him on their 40-man roster. The Cubs then traded Hamilton to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for money. Hamilton made his long-awaited Major League debut on April 2, 2007 against the Chicago Cubs in a pinch-hit appearance, receiving a 22-second standing ovation. In Decemeber 2007, Josh was traded to the Texas Rangers where he is experiencing an AMAZING year in the Majors! Josh is required to have 3 drugs tests a week in order to stay in baseball. The most exciting part of the whole story is that Josh gives all the credit to God. I get excited following him and his story! (Exerts taken from Wikipedia...my version would have been much, much longer!)

...We left at 6:30am in hopes to get the DC in time to catch BP...no such luck! We got there about hour & fifteen prior to game time...I will blame it on a stupid tractor trailor turned over on 95 & the LARGE amounts of traffic on 95 around Richmond on a Sunday morning! We had seats in center/right out by Josh and our seats started out under the overhang in the shade. About an hour into the game, we were in the sun but still managed to enjoy a Sunday at the ballpark. Nationals Stadium is pretty sweet. Josh went 0-4, had several plays in right & one great catch! :)

Last summer, Josh was on the DL and played in a series in Durham against the Durham Bulls! :)

Thursday was not a good day...for me or Carter!

On Thursday, Carter & I ventured out to visit grandma to wish her a happy 70th birthday! I know my grandma really enjoys visits from Carter so we hung out there for about an hour. Then we headed off to the mall to find Carter a rashguard for the pool. Of course we stopped at a few of my favorite stores along the way and Carter started to get fussy but not too bad (1:45pm). While walking through the mall, I was holding Carter against my chest, facing forward and pushing the stroller. He was content there...but that got really heavy and ackward really quick. Eventually, he was so fussy that I took out the carseat part out of the stroller and changed his diaper in the middle of Dillard's. He was fine once I laid him down in the stroller part. Well that wouldn't have been a problem, but I also had the carseat part with me. It was at this point, when I was sooo far from the car that I knew it was time to go.(3pm) (actually past time!) As Carter was happy in the stroller, I knew there was NO WAY that I was going to push his stroller through the mall with the carseat on top...I would look SO DUMB. So I decided to go outside and through the parking lot where no one could hear him scream or see how dumb I looked. He was fine on the parking lot ride and the ride back home. I called Aaorn on the way home and told him that Carter was his son...because Aaron does not enjoy the mall!! He began to fuss as I entered the garage. GRREEEAAAT! He then would fuss off and on until about 11:30PM...seriously. It was as if nothing would/could make Carter happy. My mom called a few times and could tell that Carter was not happy and we were at a loss so she came over for a few hours to give us a break. He was ok while she was here...just not quite content. We've been concerned about his tummy, gas and bowel movements so we gave him 1/2 oz of prune juice & 1/2 oz of water (suggested by his doctor) hoping that would make him feel better. Not sure if it helped...but it didn't hurt!! It was finally about 11:30 that Carter fell asleep on my chest and I waited until he was REALLY asleep before I put him in his bed...and he did fine after that. I'm so glad mom came by...I'm not sure Aaron and I could have endured 10 tough hours straight. It is sooo difficult to hear Carter so upset for so long. Oh yeah, and we left the mall with no rashguard. I found one at The Children's Place but I wanted to look at a few other stores first. The plan was to get the one from TCP on the way out. I had no idea I would walk around the mall to return to my car!!!

Carter slept really well last night and today has been much better. He was a bit fussy after dinner tonight but is finally sound asleep. He actually started off the week Monday, Tuesday & Wednesday with fussy hours from 8pm-11pm. I am hoping he will get out of this habit VERY SOON!!!



I looked in the bedroom one day this week and I could only see the top of Carter's head and no Aaron. I walked in and found this site. Aaron and Carter watching Sportscenter together. :) Carter really enjoys watching Rangers highlights!

Aaron, Derrick & I are off to DC on Sunday to watch Josh play! Look for fun pictures of our day trip! :)

Aaron's 1st Father's Day

Uncle Derrick


Father's Day Family Photo


Polo Boys


Happy Father


Happy Baby


Today we celebrated Aaron's 1st Father's Day with lunch at my parent's house. We had yummy steaks :) and I made an icecream sandwich cake for my dad for Father's Day. So yum as well! Aaron got a new pair of (hair) clippers from Carter and a shirt & shorts from me. This afternoon we got in a 2 hour nap since Carter was at Grandma's. My mom watched Carter so he wouldn't have to attend his 3rd funeral/visitation since he's been born.

Carter also spent the night at my parent's house on Friday night. He had been really fussy all night and we finally got him to sleep at their house. Mom volunteered to keep him so it worked out for Carter and for us. We got to sleep for 6 hours in a row!!!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Some of Carter's favorite things:
Eating! :) Every 2.5-3 hours
Sitting up...in your lap, facing you
Being naked
Hanging out on the changing table
Playing in his crib
Letting mommy dress him in super cute clothes, of her choice! :)
Chewing on his fist/fingers to let you know he's hungry
Snuggling
Riding in the car...for the most part-sometimes he'll start screaming when we are about 5 minutes from our location. You arrive to find him beat red, and sweating from head to toe!
Being held...by anyone. He's not partial!
Sleeping on your chest like a little frog

Some of Carter's least favorite things:
Gas!!!!
Taking the bottle out of his mouth to burp him
When mommy tries to cut his finger off while cutting his nails!?!?
Paci-with assistance he does pretty well, but who wants to hold a paci in someone's mouth for a long period of time?



My mom got her first babysitting assignment last night for graduation...and of course everyone was asking for Carter. It was strange to leave and my only "directions" to mom were to feed him at 6 and she could give him a bath if she wanted. (Of course she did!)




Bathtime


Hanging out with grandma...he really likes sitting up!

I'm a big boy!

Carter had his month check up today. He weighed in at a whoppin' 11 lb 9 oz! I could not believe the scale. That's almost 3 pounds gained in a month. He has grown to 22 3/4 inches. What a big boy!!!

His 1 month stats:
Weight 11 lb 9 oz: 90% percentile
Length 22 3/4 in: 80% percentile
Head 39 cm: 60% percentile

Carter is 1 month old today...time flies!?!?!

Hanging out in his crib, playing with his doggie from Gabriel




It is hard to believe that Aaron and I have been parents for 1 month. Carter has been a great baby...fussy at times, and awake in the middle of the night when he should be sleeping...but besides that---GREAT! :) He has changed so much. He is starting to smile more and makes the cutest baby noises. His eating schedule has been a little off recently...it's so difficult working on a 2 or sometimes 3 hour feeding schedule. You never know when he is going to eat.

Last Friday, Carter met some of the ladies at mom's work. After that, we went to have Carter's picture taken. The appointment was at 3:40...and we were leaving at 6:40. Needless to say, it was an adventure. Carter was either fussy, eating, sleeping or peeing on me!!! The pictures turned out pretty good based on his age!

More to come after Carter's 1 month check up on Monday.

Aaron's parents come to visit

Today, Aaron's parens came to visit Carter on his 1 month birthday! :) He's changed so much since they first saw him when he was just 12 hours old! We had lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings & choose your own desserts from Lowes. Of course, I got the character cupcake and convinnced Rachel to get one too! :)


Hanging out with grandpa
Thanks for the UNC-W bib Aunt Rachel :)



Lovin' on grandma


Eating with Aunt Rachel

A deal on Boppy's!

While shopping at BJ's this past week, we came across a major deal for new parents! BJ's has Boppy pillows with slip covers for $17!!! They are about $34 at Target! Pass this bit of info onto your preggy friends or family members!