garlington family

mama told me there'd be days like this...

2012-02-08T14:40:00.000-08:00

ok, maybe she didn't...but she should have!!!!

i left the kids in the car for literally 5 minutes while i ran into the post office to mail a package for our new little venture (before you call cps..i could clearly see the car the whole time...). maybe that was my first mistake. when i came back in, this is what i found:

yes, two whole books ripped to shreds, laying all over the floor of the car. one of them being a BRAND NEW hardback book i just bought them. who does that?!?! apparently, my kids.

AND...

as i was putting norah to bed at naptime, i found this:

bite marks on the headboard of the new "big girl" bed brandon just finished making for her. took the paint off and left huge gouges in the wood. really? really?!?! well, maybe this "big girl" needs to go back to her crib!

hmm...i might have some words to say the next time BOTH sets of grandparents decide to go on an extended vacation at the same time! (just kidding, grandparents, if you're reading this...)

Norah is Two!

2012-01-15T22:23:00.000-08:00

We had just a small party with the family (minus Kip & Lindsay, Toni & Adam)...with a rainbow theme. Norah was so excited, and woke up every morning for a few days before asking if it was her "birday" yet. So fun. The girl loves balloons, and probably would have been happy with just that. She sure is a bundle of fun! (Wonderful pictures courtesy of Tara and Todd)

Two months...

2012-01-15T22:02:00.000-08:00

and we are falling into a good little routine. Claire is just the best baby. She's laid back, patient, easy-going, and a hard sleeper. She was the easiest pregnancy, easiest labor and delivery, and has been the easiest newborn of the three (not that Carson and Norah were that hard either!) Literally, the first 2 months of her life she spent sleeping. All day, all night. It made for a nice transition. She's a very serious baby, but just recently, we've started to get the little wobbly smiles while she's looking you right in the eye. So fun. And it doesn't hurt that Claire sleeps ten solid hours at night. Sure makes her all the more sweeter in the morning! Carson and Norah love her, of course. Carson is a very sweet big brother--always wanting to help out with holding her, watching her, and giving her a bath. I just love listening to him talk to her when he thinks I'm not listening. Norah, I think, could take her or leave her...she's so very interested in her, but it's definitely on HER terms! It will be fun to watch their relationship grow as sisters. As for now, we are truly enjoying being a family of five. Yes, life is more chaotic, there's more noise, and more work...but our hearts are that much more full!

claire noelle-newborn pictures

2012-01-15T21:39:00.000-08:00

She has changed to much since then...but I wanted to share some of my favorites from her newborn pictures. Our friends Josh and Bobbi came up when Claire was about 3 weeks old to take some pictures of her. Claire was a trooper...the older two, not so much. I had envisioned all these adorable poses with the three kids (yes, one included them laying down on top of each other, with the baby on top...not sure what I was thinking.) Carson was bored, and Norah would not smile or look at the camera. Is it too much to ask of them to get one picture for Christmas cards?!? Finally, we decided just to lay them on a blanket..and forget "posing." When Bobbi gave me the edited disc, we were both shocked we had a few of the kids that actually turned out. I was really happy with them...they capture our three perfectly.

Maternity Photos

2011-11-10T20:10:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago, we had our friend Bobbi and her husband Josh up to take some maternity pictures, as well, as some family pictures for us. I never had any maternity pictures taken with the other two, and figured I would probably regret it if I didn't. I'm glad we did. They turned out so good. And as difficult as it is to get decent photos of 2 toddlers, we have lots of good family ones too. So fun to have some new pictures to hang up! Thanks Bobbi!

Halloween 2011

2011-11-10T19:51:00.000-08:00

Here are a few pictures from our Halloween this year.
We skipped the pumpkin patch this year, and went to my parents for pumpkins. Ours, of course, never turned orange.
Carson had a hand-me-down costume from a friend of Brandon's from the fire station, so he was, of course, a fireman. Norah was a ballerina. By my choice. A little atypical of her...she's kinda of a tomboy and well...doesn't really have the ballerina physique. But she was oh so cute in all pink. And loved her tutu.
We went to my brother Kevin and Lauren's house to trick or treat, and then went trick or treating around the block in their neighborhood. The kids loved it. Norah was definitely in the lead. Then we headed to the church for some food and games. Fun night. And now the candy is gone.

Less than a month now...

2011-10-13T20:39:00.000-07:00

We are getting so excited to meet the newest personality in our family.

Wondering if she'll look like this one...

Or this one...

Idaho Cabin Trip

2011-10-13T20:22:00.000-07:00

Whenever we are in Idaho, we try to make it to Brandon's family's cabin (about 1.5 hours north-east ish from Boise). After Toni and Adam's wedding, we headed up there with my parents for a little relaxation...swimming in the hot pool, motorcycle and 4-wheeler rides, campfires and good food! We ALL had a great time, and are just sad that fun little place is just a bit too far away for weekend visits!

toni and adam's wedding (minus pictures of the bride and groom)

2011-10-11T22:20:00.000-07:00

My sister and Adam got married on Sept. 24th in a beautiful and HOT ceremony in Boise, Idaho. Yes, I have absolutely no pictures of the wedding itself or the lovely bride and groom. But, it truly was a lovely, lovely day. We had such a great weekend spending time with family and enjoying one of our favorite places...Boise. We have such happy memories of Idaho, and it was fun to go back. And cheers to the new bride and groom! So happy for you, Toni & Adam!

summer around here + some house projects

2011-10-11T22:00:00.000-07:00

My little buddy picking me some blackberries.

Carson and Lola. She is truly the best dog. The kids LOVE her and she is really gentle with them.

Brandon and Carson ready to leave on their little overnight camping trip. They were planning on going just up the road to a close campground...but forgot it was Labor Day weekend, and NOTHING was open. So, after driving around for a few hours, they set up camp in our yard, built a fire, and slept in the tent. I don't know that Carson even knew the difference!

Hillbilly-ish? A little bit. How Brandon takes the trash/recycling down to the end of the road.

I wish I had a "before" picture of this section of our yard. It got pretty overgrown last winter, and a project this summer was to weed the hillside, plant new groundcover, and add rocks to keep the dirt on the hill. It was a TON of work, but cleaned up nice!

Brandon built some stairs leading from our driveway up to the shop and garden area.

our {lame} garden

2011-10-11T20:56:00.000-07:00

We were so excited to have a garden this year. SO excited. But, combined with the serious lack of summer sun, the plethora of rain, slugs, deer, moles, and the location of our garden, I was more than slightly disappointed. Although late, we had plenty of cucumbers and zucchini, carrots, and green onions. Our green beans, tomatoes, peppers, pumpkins, and corn were an epic fail. Like they still have yellow blossoms on them, no fruit. Given another month of sunny, warm temperatures I think they'd be great. Too bad we won't see that! Here's to hoping next summer will be a little bit ummm...less wet?

Our garden on Sept. 1. Check out the size of that corn!!

putt-putt and sidewalk paint

2011-09-05T22:18:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago our church had a putt-putt golfing night at good ol' Steakburger. Brandon had to work, but my parents were there. Carson had a blast. It was comical to watch him try to hit the ball. I think his goal was to try to hit it as hard as he could wherever it would go. It will be a while before he catches up to his Grandpa Wayne! Norah was a trooper and just kicked it in the stroller. And we couldn't leave without a kiddie cone...

I found this recipe for sidewalk paint on my new favorite love pinterest, and thought I'd try it out. Super easy to make. Not near as glamorous as the pictures from the link! Norah decided to dip her paintbrush in the paint and then fling her brush around, hence the tiny splatters everywhere...in the garage, all over the kids, and even poor Lola had chalk speckles all over her black fur. Carson and Norah had a lot of fun with it...but in all honesty, after I took the paint away they had just as much fun with a paintbrush and a bowl of water on the driveway.

August Random

2011-08-23T22:12:00.000-07:00

Just because this makes me laugh.

Mt. Hood Cabin with the Family

2011-08-23T22:08:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days with part of my family at my parents' Mt. Hood cabin a few weeks ago. Tara, Todd, and Brody were there, as well as my parents. Kevin and Lauren were still being honeymooners (or "hunting-moon" as Carson says it), and Toni and Adam couldn't make it from Idaho. We had a great time...even though the weather was on the cool side. Since we more than likely won't be doing any camping this summer, we pitched our tent, along with Tara and Todd's, behind the cabin...just in case the kids/tent/sleeping thing didn't work out. We did alright. One kid ended up in bed with us each night, but we actually kind of enjoyed it. We ate well...at every.single.meal, and gorged on smores with coconut and vanilla caramel marshmellows. Sinful. And another trip to Kah-Nee-Ta was made, in efforts to feel some heat over 70 degrees. I don't need a blog to tell me I'm truly a terrible photographer...but I really am. I'm lucky if I remember to take pictures at all...let alone decent ones! My sister has some good pictures on her blog, too.

July 23 {Kevin + Lauren}

2011-08-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

I can't believe I'm just now posting our pictures from my brother's wedding. We have a few things coming up that I knew if I didn't post now, I would get way behind. I honestly didn't get that many good pictures of the beautiful venue, gorgeous bride and groom, or the lovely decorations...but my sister and my aunt have some great pictures on their blogs. It was all I could do to try to get a few decent pictures of the kids!

Beautiful just doesn't do justice to the ceremony, the bride and groom, or the location. We had so much fun spending time with family and friends, sharing a house with my family, and enjoying the warm weather. Looking forward to hearing about Kevin and Lauren's travels to Bali when they get back this week!

like father, like son

2011-07-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

Around our house lately, it's not uncommon to find things like they are in the first picture...Carson's things right up next to Brandon's. His bike is parked right next to Brandon's motorcycle. His work gloves are right next to Brandon's in the garage. His Romeos are always set right next to his daddy's. He wears his tape measure in his pocket on the same side Brandon does. So when Brandon built his workbench, he made one for Carson right next to it. (Then Brandon could clear out the bottom drawer of his tool chest where all of Carson's "tools" were.) It makes me smile. Good thing I married such a great guy.

7.4.11

2011-07-07T22:44:00.000-07:00

I am sad that these are the only two pictures I have from the fourth...although I think they both turned out cute! Brandon was working, so we went to the Ridgefield Parade with my parents, and Kevin and Lauren. It was fun for the kids, but a little too chaotic for me! You would think getting there an hour early would be plenty enough time to find a decent parking spot and a spot to sit...but we barely squeezed in on a 2 foot section of street corner. The people who had saved the spots next to us were nice enough to scoot over so at least Carson and Norah could sit on our laps to have a front row seat to even just a tiny bit of the candy action. And the people on the other side of us...were, well, rude. Parades ARE for the kids, right?! Carson did much better with the costumes this year, and Norah could have cared less about the candy and really just wanted someone to hand her a balloon off one of the floats. We spent the afternoon at my parents, enjoying the sun, swimming in the kiddie pool, running through the sprinkler, and eating a delicious dinner. The kids and I were home before dark, and I fell asleep listening to the fireworks going off all around me.

Hello, Summer!

2011-06-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

We spent a few days this week celebrating the end of school/beginning of summer at my parent's cabin at Mt. Hood. Brandon and I were laughing about how it was one of the more "smooth" vacations we have taken...healthy, relatively non-crabby kids, didn't forget anything hugely important, no rough nights, etc. The weather was BEAUTIFUL, the food was delicious, and we had such a wonderful time just being together. We are so thankful to be able to get away without it costing an arm and a leg. Thanks Mom and Dad!

Giant turtle in the blow up pool. Yes, they did pretend it was a motorcycle.

Smores by the campfire. My big eater...We'll revist this picture in oh...about 16 years... : )

Trying to watch a movie on the couch.

The wading pool at Kah-Nee-Ta.

In other news, we found out Thursday that we can finally call "new baby" baby SISTER. We are excited...although I wasn't surprised. : ) I love BOTH my sisters, and am so thankful that Norah will get to have one so close in age.

Merwin Fishing Derby

2011-06-25T22:05:00.000-07:00

A few weekends ago, we drove up to Lake Merwin for the annual fishing derby...so Carson could give his birthday fishing pole another whirl. It was crowded and a little chaotic for a 3 year old and 18 month old, but it was worth it when Carson told us on the way in, "I'm so happy! I'm just so excited to be going fishing with my daddy!"

three.

2011-06-19T23:01:00.000-07:00

Well, this post is only about a month late. I'll slowly catch up. I've been known to have a smidge of procrastination in me...

We had a small birthday party for Carson. He desperately wanted a fireman birthday. I gave him several choices, several times...Curious George, motorcycles, bears, tractors, football...but it was the fire birthday each time. Because, as he puts it, "Well, I AM a fireman, mommy!" Of course. It was so much fun for me to watch him enjoy himself, and get genuinely excited about everything.

Not sure which he got the bigger kick out of...his first experience with silly string (Thanks, Todd)...or the jar of snakes he opened as a "gift." Yes, snakes.(Thanks, Koby)

Thanks, Tara and Todd for all the pictures. Seriously, if it wasn't for you guys...there would be little documentation of the important events in our kids' lives!

lately...

2011-06-10T22:08:00.000-07:00

campfire!

ripping out an old concrete pad in the shop...scary how much he likes power tools!

our own "dozer days" brandon rented a digger (not the technical name i know) to haul away the old concrete and do some clean up

deer, you're cute, but you better not get to my garden!!!

we bought some (like 15) fruit trees off craigslist for $5 each...and then the planting...

thank you tara and todd! they're much bigger now. we're looking forward to the eggs!

we planned to just plant in half...oops...


the nose picker and a smiler

Growing up, I think I kind of underestimated the amount of work it took to "keep up" a home on even a small amount of land....now I know. There is much to be done, but we're truly loving it. We now have chickens, ducks, a dozen fruit trees, raspberries, (dead) blueberries, a huge garden, moles, a lot of mowing, and 2 dirty, happy kids at the end of each day.

We planted our garden last week. Although Brandon tilled the whole area, we really had planned to do just a "small" garden. Before we knew it, the seed packets were empty and we had run out of room in our garden. But, in a few months we'll have beans, cucumbers, zucchini, lettuce, corn, tomatoes, peppers, onions, carrots, and pumpkins to enjoy. If the deer leave it alone, that is!

Across Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah, and Wyoming…

2011-04-26T14:18:00.000-07:00

For spring break, we took a little road trip to visit Brandon’s grandparents in Cheyenne. It made the drive from Vancouver to Nampa seem quick! It was good to spend some time with Grandpa Joe and Arnett out on their farm. And we were able to spend the night in Nampa with Kip and Lindsay, visit with them, and see Toni and Adam.

Carson and Grandpa Joe

Against my pleads...

Carson and Grandma Nettie playing Memory.

Visiting the baby cows.

Pigtails and blue sky!

This truck has been in Brandon's grandparents family for quite a while. We are now the proud owners. It's very special to Brandon, and he has plans for it...someday!

Brandon and his grandpa working on on of their many projects while we were there. This was a large pole with an area at the top for a nest for the neighborhood hawk.

We are so thankful for time spent with family, for safe travels, and (relatively) good travelers!

A Family of Five…all in Five Years

2011-04-26T13:49:00.000-07:00

Yes, shortly after our 5 year wedding anniversary, we’ll be having another baby. We’re still scratching our heads at how exactly that happened (no, not really… = ). Baby #3 is due November 10, 2011. We are excited for this new little life. When we told Carson we were going to have a new baby, he looked at us with a very serious, confused look on his face, pointed to Norah, and said, “Mom, we’re just going to throw that baby away?!” In his 2.5 year old mind, if you get something new you must just get rid of the old one…right? So…I quickly explained that he gets two…we get to keep Norah, and a new baby too. Well, then he told someone at church we were having TWO babies. Oh my….

decisions

2011-03-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

i have a serious problem making decisions. it's ridiculous.

you think 50 paint swatches is too many? i have nearly every blue/gray/green/beige paint chip from lowes, home depot, fred meyer, battle ground paint, and walmart. i've been agonizing over this for nearly a week now. if only my quick-to-make-a-decision husband was here to help me! i envy the people who can just go in, pick a color, and buy it right on the spot.

my mom is a good painter. really good painter. a perfectionist at painting, if you will. she (and my sister) came over to help me last night, while wayne and treva watched the kids for a second night in a row. we did the master bedroom, and we'll do Norah's room, and the spare room today. i think i like the color it turned out. hopefully brandon will too.

brandon comes home fron haiti tonight. i can't wait! i've missed him and am excited to hear all about it.

and we're moving thursday to our new place. more pictures to come!

happy 1st birthday, little girl!

2011-03-03T21:37:00.000-08:00

my sister has inspired me to blog again.

so in honor of the second-born, here are a few pictures from a fellow second-born's birthday. the one who's got the short end of the stick with pictures. especially pictures by herself. i will do better.

purple owl theme...had to document it to show i did SOMETHING!

happy

"no, really, we PROMISE you'll like it!"

ahh...and happy again

on a side note, any good picture posted is most likely taken by my sister or her husband. they're pretty nice to have around. : )

Shutterfly!

2010-12-09T20:52:00.000-08:00

The first time I used Shutterfly for photos, I was printing "thank you's" for my college graduation....Class of '04 (seems SO long ago!) I found a cute little border, plain and simple, that said just that--Class of '04. They were cheap, simple, and the quality was great. Wished I'd saved a copy! I've also uploaded many pictures from them to print, because the prices are low, and it seems like they're always having some sort of special deal. Since then, I've used Shutterfly for various family photos, and I've always been happy with the quality.
They have some GREAT photo cards available for Christmas now. SO many neat designs to choose from. There's cards that will fit one photo, and cards that incorporate a collage.

I'm having a hard time deciding on just ONE I like...

Like this one...

Star Shining Bright Christmas Card

Create unique Christmas cards with Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

or this one...

Simply Memories Christmas 5x7 folded card

Click here to browse hundreds of Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

and this one...

Gorgeous White Ribbon Christmas 5x7 folded card

Click here to browse hundreds of Christmas card designs.

View the entire collection of cards.

I love how simple they are. Just my style!

Which one will YOU choose??

Bend Camping Trip

2009-06-12T22:33:00.000-07:00

in honor of brandon's first kelly day (1st shift off) we decided to find the sun camping in bend. here are a few highlights:
-arriving in bend to find a major hailstorm
-finally deciding on tumalo state park
-setting up camp in the rain
-making a "makeshift" awning
-sharing a bed with a cuddly little baby who was overtired and afraid of the tent
-that same baby sleeping 13 hours straight the next night, and 2 2+ hour naps!
-the sound of the rain beating down on the tent at night
-bikerides downtown bend, drake park, and shevlin park (don't try to mt. bike on cruisers with a baby on the back!)
-goody's ice cream
-picnic in the grass, hikes at smith rock, and delicious huckleberry ice cream
-definitely not the warm central oregon weather we were hoping for but it made those sunbreaks oh so good

cute

2009-04-13T20:50:00.001-07:00

all dressed up

2009-04-13T20:47:00.000-07:00

last weekend we went (childless) to our first vancouver fire banquet. i felt a little high school prom-ish, but brandon with a tie is a rare occasion, so we had to document it...

here comes trouble...

2009-04-13T20:43:00.000-07:00

do you think his dad will mind just a little makeup?? sad thing, he actually knows how to use that makeup brush...

hooray for easter eggs!

2009-04-13T20:37:00.000-07:00

the three

2009-01-18T16:25:00.001-08:00

the gun case

2009-01-18T16:15:00.000-08:00

so let me just take a minute and brag on my husband. i think he's pretty talented. i find pictures of all sorts of furniture in magazines that i point out to him and politely ask if we can look into purchasing. well, his answer is "i can make that." and he does. i have a coffee table (well, sort of), an end table, a bookshelf, etc. this year he wanted to make his dad a gun case for a collector's edition gun wayne has. brandon spent a lot of time researching it, finding pictures and the right materials (including two trips to joann fabrics BY. HIMSELF.) it was beautiful--complete with some sort of complicated joint system, a nice lock, glass top. i'm not sure who was more excited--brandon or wayne! and the final product....

christmas

2009-01-18T16:07:00.000-08:00

here's a few random pictures from the christmas festivities. somehow, i have no pictures of christmas eve with brandon's family. carson (sadly) slept through most of it, but it was a great time anyhow! we've decided that holidays are much more fun and meaningful with a baby (the grandparents, aunts, and uncles think so too!)

green beans = yuck

2008-12-09T10:40:00.000-08:00

sorry son, i don't think i'd like them either...

why...

2008-12-09T10:37:00.001-08:00

do i always find "surprises" on my camera?

hmm...

pretty funny.

thanksgiving

2008-12-09T10:14:00.000-08:00

we had a busy and wonderful thanksgiving weekend. brandon, carson and i were excited to spend time with our families, and especially our siblings who were home from college. thursday morning we visited with wayne, treva, and kip (who hadn't seen carson since he left for school in august!), then went over for thanksgiving dinner at my parents new cozy cottage. saturday we went to my aunt kathy and uncle dean's for "thanksgiving leftovers/november birthdays" and saturday morning was spent at wayne and treva's eating a yummy breakfast. so basically we ate. way too much.

we have much to be thankful for this thanksgiving. way too much. : )

worth the wait

2008-12-09T09:59:00.000-08:00

i should have posted this a long time ago, but for those of you who don't know, brandon FINALLY got hired with the Vancouver Fire Department. he's spent the last three years working multiple jobs while at the same getting his foot in the door by volunteering, attending weekly drill, and working shifts with the VFD. the way things went down with him getting hired can't be explained by anything other than the Lord. so cool. the "academy" (or 12ish week training) is supposed to start in early february. what's a few more months when you've been waiting YEARS?! brandon has been working so hard for this and we are so excited for him to have a career doing something that he loves, and in a department that's been his dream to work for.

halloween

2008-11-05T13:27:00.001-08:00

halloween jammies and hat from great grandma jeaneen

light the night at liberty bible: tiffany and andrew the puppy, lori and lanie the ladybug, kara and olivia the giraffe, kim and carson the frog

how hard is it to get 3 babies to look at the camera at the same time and sit still when not one of them is even sitting yet? seriously!!

my little green frog

beach trip

2008-10-28T14:22:00.000-07:00

brandon tried to surprise me with a last minute trip to the beach since he had saturday and sunday off, and the weather was supposed to be gorgeous. well, it didn't quite end up being a suprise, but we had a blast anyway! (supposedly, i'm "unsurpriseable??") the weather WAS beautiful--70ish degrees on the beach with almost no wind. one wouldn't know it was close to november with weather like that! we stayed at my aunt kathy and uncle dean's place in pacific city. it was carson's first beach trip, and he loved the wind and the waves. we relaxed, walked on the beach, took a quick trip to the outlets, had lunch at mo's, and visited with my grandparents who were staying at their place down there as well. thanks again, kathy and dean!

opening day

2008-10-24T14:45:00.000-07:00

i never really thought i'd be the wife of a hunter...but brandon just LOVES to go hunting. (i've accepted the fact, and realized that my son will someday too...but am still not fond of bloody animals or venison burgers!) this year, he went out on the opening day of deer season (?) with jj and joey. after a rocky start to the weekend (involving a missing rifle, getting pulled over, etc)brandon shot his 3-point an hour into the morning! i think it was kind of bittersweet--awesome to have shot one so early, but because since you can only get one deer, brandon's done for the season (lucky for me! heh) brandon's smoking some jerky with the meat, which is actually really delicious. anyway, he's been working so much lately that i'm glad he got to go enjoy the outdoors and the good company! ok joey and jj...your turn! (sorry for the slightly barbaric pictures!)

a pig? a pterodactyl? a girl?

2008-10-18T17:24:00.000-07:00

carson has somehow found the next octave. i can't quite tell if it's a happy squeal or i'm-going-to-get-really-mad-soon squeal. anyway, it makes us laugh. we've had quite a week with sleeping. duh mom, it's way more fun to play than sleep, AND i like it better when you rock me to sleep!! ONE thirty minute nap a day doesn't quite cut it! we've also quit swaddling cold turkey, so it's been fun for brandon and i to tiptoe into his room to see where he has landed himself once he finally falls asleep. usually, he's on his stomach in the corner of the crib, shoved up against the bumper. and to top it all off, i think he also had a touch of a cold or something this week. his nose has been stuffy and his eyes watery. i am enjoying the snuggles though...

my two loves

2008-10-18T17:19:00.000-07:00

anticipating

2008-09-21T17:20:00.000-07:00

brandon and i really don't watch that much tv...but this is one show we watch religiously. so excited for thursday! and thanks to our new converter box, we can watch it static-free... : )

just peachy

2008-09-07T13:49:00.000-07:00

i am known in my family as "the one who can't cook" well, with the new found freedom (ha ha) i've been trying my hand at all things domestic...and my latest is canning, with hopes of it becoming baby food in the near future. my mom and i went down to hillsboro to pick peaches (basically, she picked while i fed carson and then i gently set a few peaches, my contribution, into the box). then she came over on labor day to help me cann (sp? cann? can?) the first batch, then i was on my own for the rest. i ended up canning 30 quarts and only had one that didn't seal...not too shabby for one that is known to have many disasters in the kitchen). it actually was a lot of fun, and i felt very satisfied at the end of the day... thanks mom!

snug as a bug in a rug

2008-08-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

some people think it's funny that we still swaddle carson. well, do we want to sleep at night? then he MUST be wrapped as tightly as possible! i must admit, brandon is a darn good swaddler. carson rarely gets out of his swaddles at night. i tried to lay him in his crib unswaddled this morning, and his arms were thrashing around, hitting himself in the face multiple times. after about 15 minutes, i wrapped him back up. he was out in less than a minute. i know the day will come when we'll have to wean him off the swaddle...not until he's off to college, i'm sure ; )

...and we have a roller!

2008-08-27T09:56:00.000-07:00

i laid carson on the floor yesterday (on his stomach) while i went to wash my hands. when i came back...he was on his back! it seriously messed with me because i don't have the best memory, and while i KNEW i laid him on his stomach...the thought that he could have rolled over by himself was too far from reality. i went to get the camera, and he did it again, but too fast for me to get a video. then today, he rolled from back to front...after a few attempts. so fun!

before & after

2008-08-20T12:24:00.000-07:00

this is what 9 months will do to you! it sure has been fun experiencing pregnancy, childbirth, and motherhood with these two. we recently had a gathering at lori and koby's house. our evening went from chatting about who was going to be the first to have a baby or the ills of pregnancy to rotating into the nursery to feed our little ones, and discussing how to get more sleep at night. times have changed!

(l: lori, kara, kim in may)

(r: lanie kate 8/5, carson isaiah 5/26, olivia grace 7/23)

Two Months

2008-07-20T13:38:00.000-07:00

I now know what people mean when they say to enjoy this time, it goes fast! We saw a newborn in the dr. office this week, and when looking at them next to each other, for the first time I realized how much Carson's growing, and how he's not that tiny (well, was he ever tiny?!) newborn anymore! We are enjoying and loving every minute!

I had summer school these last two weeks, so the grandma's have been watching Carson...and loving it! I sure missed him, though.

We now have smiles and coos! So fun. I'm trying to take pictures, but he will only smile at a face, and gets too distracted by the camera to focus on the person smiling at him. Someday... : ) This morning, at 3:30am when Carson woke up, and I was grumpy, the first thing he did was smile at me, and it just melted that tiredness right away...

One Month

2008-07-20T13:31:00.000-07:00

*Carson loves to give us a little surprises when we change his diaper. We're learning to be quick!

*We go through about 6 burp rags a day...no joke. This kid's a spitter!

*He's sleeping so well! He can go from about 10:30 or 11:00 to 5:00am! I know I shouldn't get used to it...but it sure is nice!

*The three of us, plus Wayne and Treva, went to Cheyenne for Grandma and Grandpa Miller's 50th anniversary party. Carson did great on the airplane, and was a flexible little traveler. He had many willing hands to hold him once we got there. We had a wonderful time and were so glad we got to go!

First Bath

2008-07-20T13:27:00.001-07:00

Carson Isaiah Garlington

2008-07-20T13:04:00.000-07:00

Carson Isaiah Garlington

May 26th, 2008 1:08 am

9lb. 1 oz 20.5 inches

(Disclaimer: I really am not normally this wordy, and am not big on posting things that may be "too much information" but this post is basically for myself, as I wanted to write it down before I forgot everything!)

Carson's Birth:

Since I was a week overdue, we went to the hospital Saturday afternoon for a non-stress test, where they listen to the baby's heartbeat. Everything was great, so Brandon and I went home, ate a delicious rib dinner, and watched a movie. That night, about 11:00, we decided to go back to the hospital (let's just say I'm kind of a paranoia.) We were there until about 2:00, and they decided it wasn't time, so we just went back home. I was having decent contractions, but nothing regular, and nothing painful. Of course, an hour after we got home, I started having regular, painful contractions. I don't think I slept a wink. I started timing them at 4:00 and woke Brandon up at 5:00. We putted around for a bit, and headed to the hospital around 6:00. They were about 3 minutes apart, but not too painful yet. They monitored us for about 2 hours before they decided to admit us. I was dialated to a 3, but Carson's head was still pretty high. They suggested walking. So we walked...and walked...and walked. All the families were there, so my mom and Brandon took turns walking with me, stopping every few minutes for contractions. After walking the halls for about 3 hours, I got in the tub. By now, they were getting pretty painful, and I was throwing up...(throwing up + contractions=not fun!). They gave me anti nausea medicine which made me woozy, and checked me again. I was at a 3.5 I think this was the point I started to cry. The kind nurse gave me 2 options: they can break your water, or give you pitocin to speed things up. I decided to have my water broken, and then the epidural, then the pitocin. The epidural was SWEET relief, and it gave me a chance to rest because I was running on no sleep. By early evening, I had made good progress, even without the epidural, and was at a 8. Then things stalled a bit, and I waited and waited and waited to get to a 10. That whole time was kind of a blur. After a few hours, I was stalled at a 9, and then they decided to give me some pitocin to speed it up. It worked, and I was at a 9.5, and just waited a little while longer to push. About 12, I started pushing, and after a few quick pushes around 1:00, Carson Isaiah was born! They put his screaming body on my chest, and it was absolutely the best feeling ever! We noticed his dark hair, his bushy eyebrows, and his chin dimple. The nurse couldn't wait to weigh him, because they could tell he was a big boy! My mom and Treva, Brandon's mom were in the room with us, which was really special. After about an hour with the rest of the family waiting at the door, dying to come inside, they all got to come in a hold him. It was just like the moment we had pictured for 9 long months! Brandon and I joked that each person had a 2 minute limit because there were so many of them. (Somehow, my dad got in double his 2 minute limit!) It was a beautiful miracle!

2008-05-13T08:45:00.000-07:00

1.) Shower at Church
2.) The Three Pregnant Gals: We're all about 6 weeks apart.

Latest Happenings

2008-03-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

1.) Brandon's New Project: Log Furniture

2.) 30 Week Belly Picture

3.) Brandon and Duke

It's a Boy!

2008-01-04T08:00:00.000-08:00

We found out yesterday that we are having a boy--in true Garlington fashion! The appointment went great. He's got 2 arms, 2 legs, fingers, toes, and likes to move a lot! The ultrasound tech. said everything was measuring further along than we thought, and my doctor might end up moving my due date up to May 13 instead of May 22. We're thankful for a healthy little one this far!

The families were kept in suspense until last night. Brandon's grandparents were in town from Cheyenne, and Kip, Toni, Kevin and Lauren were home from college. So we had them all over for cake and ice cream, with a twist. The cake was 2 layered, and had either blue or pink frosting in the inside. Great-grandma Arnett cut it open while everyone waited anxiously and I don't think anyone was surprised to find blue frosting inside! It was a fun night.

Picture 1: The top of his head and 2 baby feet, complete with tiny toes!

Picture 2: The profile. Since I took a picture of a ultrasound, it didn't come out as clear. But it's amazing to see his little forehead, nose, and lips.