One Year Old

On September 29th, Trace turned 1!! We celebrated at our house with family and a few close friends. It was a great day and Trace did so well. I was really worried about him stressing because of everyone being around him or too much lovin'. He was GREAT! He LOVES being the center of attention, so this was right up his alley. Instead of a traditional cake, we had a cupcake cake in the shape of "1."

However, Trace did have his own cake and loved it!! He got into serious mode when it came time for the cake. No smiles - strictly business. He had it all over his hands, the chair, his birthday outfit and his face. We had a great day celebrating with friends and family!


Fun Notes on Trace:

• First step on August 28th, 2009 (hasn't slowed down since)
  
• He has 8 teeth and cutting his 9th
  
• Loves sleeping with his elephant
  
• Loves his new "big boy" carseat


• Says Da-Da, Cat and Dat (when he points at EVERYTHING)


• He waves and says bye-bye


• If you ask him what a cat says or when he sees our cat, he says (2 octaves higher) "be-a, be-a" It is sooo cute!


• Our cat's name is Willie and when we call for him, Trace will also try and call him by saying "WeWe"


• He points to lights if you ask him where the light is.


• He knows where his mouth is. If you ask him where is nose is, he bangs on his head (we need to do some work there!)


• If you ask him to "love" something, he will put his head on whatever it is and cuddle with it. He especially likes to do this with Willie.

He is just such a joy to be around. I can't get over how fast he is learning new things. He got an alphabet train for this birthday and it is amazing that he knew exactly what to do with it to make it "work."

Trace is going to be a monkey and possibly a chicken for Halloween-so check back for Halloween pictures.

11 Month Old Update

Well, once again it has been awhile since the last update. Trace is now 11 months and 4 days old. Things have been great around the house since Trace's arrival almost a year ago but they are getting even better.

Trace is starting to wean himself off of baby food and loves eating "real" food. He loves shredded cheddar cheese, chicken or turkey sticks, green beans, spaghetti, fresh fruit and Gripz by Cheez-its.

Last Friday Bobby and I had the joy of witnessing his first step. YAY! We were shocked because it happened out of nowhere. We just kind of looked at each other like "did you see what I saw?" Since his first step, he has taken quite a few more steps but still not really walking. Just random steps every now and then. So exciting to watch him learn new things.

He loves sharing now. He likes to feed me now instead of himself. He thinks it is funny if I open my mouth and he gives me the food. He has also started "playing" with us. For instance, if I roll him the ball he will pick it up and give it back to me so I can do it again. I am absolutely loving this!!

It is amazing what children learn from each other. I love watching him play at Muriel with Zanna (3) and Drew (2). He will crawl right over with them and just look at them and then try to partake in whatever they are doing. His most recent trick is standing in an upside down "V" with his head on the ground like he is about to a front flip. He sees Zanna do it all the time. I normally don't mind him doing that except for when he tries to do it in the bathtub and submerges his head right in the water. He loves giving me a heart attack.

His recent babbling is starting to turn into words or as much of words as he can say. He always says "Da-da" when we get home and he looks around the corner to look for Bobby to see if he is on the couch. It's so cute. We have a cat named Willie and Trace will say "dat" when Willie is around. He loves chasing Willie around the house. Normally Willie doens't let him get too close because when he does, Trace just hits him. He has also been saying what sounds like "duck" when I say "truck" or "Chuck"(Muriel's (Trace's sitter) husband).

Hopefully it won't be too long for the next update.

Often Wondered

I have often wondered what I would have looked like back in the days. One of my friends found this website and I think it is absolutely hilarious!! Here is what I would have looked back in the day. Not quite sure I would married anyone if I really looked this. haha

Cruising Along

I know I say this everytime, but I am awful at this blogging thing. I am sooo sorry and am sorry I can't promise to do better but I will promise to try.

A lot of things have been happening since my last post. Trace is 9.5 months old and all over the place. He crawls everywhere and is now pulling up and cruising along furniture and walking behind push toys all by himself. I love wathcing him learn new skills. Check him out walking at the link below.

I am sorry it is sideways but that is the way I held the camera and I don't know how to flip it.

This past week we were able to spend a week with my family at my parents beach house in Ocean Lakes (between Myrtle and Garden City). Trace was surrounded by his family that loves him so so much (Papa Hoover and GiGi (Great Grandparents), Papa and Gammy (my parents), Uncle Robert, Aunt Autumn and me and Bobby). We loved spending the week with him and watching him on the beach. He absolutely loved the beach. He loved crawling around, trying to eat seashells, eating sand, playing in the hole Bobby had to build him everyday so we could sit down for 5 minutes. He loved his sand toys that my parents gave him for Christmas. He also loved daily golf cart rides.I really feel like he grew up a lot while we were at the beach. He started using his voice inflections when talking and babbling. He now knows how to get our attention when he wants or doesn't want something...screams loud, clinches his fist and scrunches his eyes. He has eight teeth but I am terrified to give him table food. I have given him watermelon, mashed potatoes, apple sauce and maybe a few more things. I let Muriel (his sitter) do all that. She has given him english muffin, scrambled eggs, pasta, icy pops and probably some more that I don't want to know about. I know I have to get over it. I will have the only child in America who is five years old who is still eating baby food.
I can't wait for my next update. It will probaby be a post about his one year old birthday party. :)

First Beach Trip

Trace had his first beach trip this past weekend with his Ganma and Papa Andrews. I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents. They took Trace to the beach with them soBobby and I could go to Edisto for our 4th Anniversary for some rest and relaxation. It was so nice to spend some time with just the two of us. However, we did miss Trace alot and were sooo excited to see him when we got home. (He was excited to see us too!)

Mom said Trace didn't like the water very much and the sand was just "okay." We are going to have to get him used to the beach because we love it and will spend a lot of time there. The whole family is going in July, so we will try the sand and water thing again.

Since our last update (a month ago..so sorry!) Trace has changed so much. He still only has 6 teeth but is a mover-a quick mover. He is crawling all over the place and sometimes with his right leg straight out. It is soo cute. He has started pulling up onto everything. Some of the things he likes:

-Sitting on Daddy's shoulders

-Looking, laughing and talking to himself in the mirror (he knows he is adorable)

-Reading and chewing on his books

-Night time bottle/cuddle with Mommy

-Playing on our down comforter in Mommy and Daddy's bed

-Loves chewing on the car seat strap when in the car

-Chewing on the pink pig on his teething necklace

-Standing on all 4's like a monkey

-Loves eating his veggies and fruit

-Crawling away from anyone who tries to change his diaper or his clothes

-bath time (normally I am as wet as he is when he gets out)

They Come in Two's

Teeth that is.....at least that is the way it is working for Trace. Trace got his bottom two teeth at the same time a little over a month ago. Around two weeks ago, we noticed his top two teeth starting to come in. They are now in but not all the way. Yesterday, he let me put my finger in his mouth (without biting me!) and I felt MORE teeth. Yes, both teeth on either side of his front two teeth are coming in now as well. I am glad we are getting this over with all at the same time.

In the middle of cutting a mouth full of teeth, he has learned to sit up by himself and is doing such a good job. He is getting better at sitting for longer periods of time while holding toys, reaching for toys and eating toys. He has also started the first stage of crawling. He is on all "4's." He can move his knees to progress forward but when he starts moving his arms, he falls down. However, the determined little fella gets right up and tries again.

Some of the things he has been enjoying are: walking in the walker at MiMi's (Muriel), chewing on his teething necklace, grunting/screaming when he does not get his way or wants something, sitting up, getting on all-fours, laughing out loud, being tickled, talking to people, riding in cars, going for walks, playing with Willie (our cat), playing in his excersaucer, pulling Mommy's hair, laughing at Daddy, rolling over while we try to change his diaper (this is fun), taking baths and splashing EVERYWHERE and so much more.

Hopefully it will not take a month for another update. The White House has been pretty busy.

Poor Baby

Well, two doctors appointments in one week-poor baby! I was really trying to make it to March 27th for his 6 month check-up. Oh well.
Last Wednesday I took Trace to the doctor because of white stuff in his mouth. I didn't think it was just milk, but I needed an expert's opinion. I was right-it was thrush. YUCK! At this appointment, Trace weighed in at 14 lbs, 15 oz. Dr. Kapp gave Trace medicine for the thrush that I had to give to him 4 times a day. I also had to sterilize his passies and nipples after every use.
Last weekend, I decided to venture out and take Trace to his first Carolina Baseball game. While there, he started holding his ears like they were hurting him. I was thinking the music was too loud or something. Sunday morning he woke up pretty congested and chewing on everything three times as much as he already does. I immediately went to Walgreens to buy some Orajel because I felt like he was about to cut a tooth.
Monday morning as soon as I got him out of his crib he threw up all over himself because of the drainage. I took his temperature and it was 101.6. I called into work and Bobby and I split the day to stay at home with him. I was then hoping it was the 24-hour bug. He progressively got worse Monday so I called my grandmother and she very graciously came to stay with Trace Tuesday morning so Bobby and I could go to work. His fever broke Monday night/Tuesday morning but continued to feel so bad. All he did was moan like he was aching. He was holding both of his ears and any noise would make him cry. He wasn't sleeping, I wasn't sleeping, no on in the White House was sleeping-not a happy time as you can imagine. My grandmother stayed with him and we took him to the doctor on Thursday because I then had diagnosed him with ear infection(s).
First things first, the weigh-in. This time Trace weighed 14 lbs, 8 oz. He had lost 5 oz. The doctor said it was due to his lack of appetite. Dr. Kapp said his ears looked great and his lungs sounded great. So he looked in his mouth and the little monkey has his two bottom teeth coming in. I can feel both of them now and I am so excited. After testing for the flu and strep, he said it is probably a mix between the teething and a viral cold. Sad news-there is nothing I can give him. He did say I could rub liquid Benadryl (sp) on his gums to help them feel better. That stuff is great! Now I am trying to get Trace back to his normal appetite. I was supposed to start him on cereal last week and have not been able to do so because of the congestion. The doctor said I could go ahead with it but Trace just isn't in the mood for anything new right now. All he wants to do is sleep, whine and occasionally play in his bouncer. He is a little trooper but it makes me so sad to him hurting like he is. I hope the rest of the 18 teeth aren't like this. I just might go crazy!!
GiGi, my grandmother, stayed with us until Friday afternoon. I am so thankful God blessed us with such a wonderful, healthy family. I am so fortunate that my grandmother can drive here and stay with us. I know my papa missed her but was willing to give her up for a couple of days. Thanks Papa!
Once the teeth pop all the way through, I will try to snap a picture. He hasn't felt like me messing in his mouth lately. I wonder why??

One Cool Dude!

This past weekend Bobby, Trace and I went to Pamplico, SC (outside of Florence) to visit my best friend Julie and her husband who just built a gorgeous new house and we had to go see it. Julie is 7 months pregnant and I went with her to register at Target. While there, I couldn't help but look for things for Trace and I found these adorable baseball sunglasses and Trace thought he was the coolest kid on the block. I am so glad he is laid back and lets me play with him like this. What a cutie pie??
He is changing everyday. His personality is really starting to come out and he is a little goof ball (a lot like his daddy). He is into spitting at all times and in particularly when he is drinking his milk. He also has been gurgling his milk. It is the cutest thing and I know I probably shouldn't laugh at it, but I love to watch him explore all the things he is learning.
He has now decided he likes to roll 360. If I put him on his stomach, he will roll over on his back and then roll back up on his stomach and then roll over on his back again, etc, etc, etc. I am loving it. He is trying to scoot and is doing a pretty good job. He needs to learn how to lift his head when he scoots though. He starts on his stomach-head up. He then lifts himself up into a v position and the head goes down. He pushes with his feet but his head is in the way. When I figure out how to use the video camera and put video on here, I will do it so you can see what a big boy he is becoming.
Oh yeah, still waiting for Momma and Dadda.

Big Boy!

I know it has been awhile, once again! I am getting really slack at this blog thing. I am trying not to be on the internet when I get home from work so spend more time with Bobby and Trace.
So, Trace is growing up so fast. Can I just tell you I have always heard that you just can't explain the love you have for a child; but I never understood it until we had Trace. That statement is SO TRUE! It is also a reminder to me that we think we love our children so much, but God loves us (his children) so much more than we can love our own. I can't imagine, but it is a great feeling to know we are sooo loved! I really have no idea why I am getting deep here but maybe someone who reads this needs to hear it.
Bobby and I are enjoying Trace so much and watching him change everyday. He has started rolling over consistently now from his tummy to his back. It is soo cute! He is pulling his legs under him while he is on his tummy. I am waiting for that first scoot. He has rolled over from his back to his tummy one time while I wasn't looking. I am so sad I missed it.
We also put together his excersaucer the other day and he absolutely loves it. We weren't sure if he would be able to sit up in it great since there is so much space in there. He definitley surprised us they way he moves from one side to the other to find all the toys on it. He loves to flip the little green frog and look at himself in the mirror. I also put links on it and he loves to pull himself into the links and try to eat them. Eat them, ahh yes, he is trying eat everything he comes in contact with (fingers, mommy's fingers, daddy's nose, cell phone, books, toys and his favorite toy-keys). I am feeling around for teeth but don't feel anything just yet. He has been drooling so much and has had a runny nose for the last couple of days so I am not sure if it is just a cold or if he is about to cut a tooth. Let me also tell you how much he loves his daddy! I love to watch their interaction with each other. Trace will stare at Bobby and he thinks everything Bobby does is funny. He cackles, out loud, all the time at him. If I try to do the same thing Bobby is doing that is making him laugh, he just looks at me like I am stupid or something. I guess I am old news. The biggest thing for me is I decided put Trace in his crib in his own bedroom Monday night. He normally sleeps in his pack-n-play right beside my side of the bed. He was starting to wake up everytime Bobby or I would roll over or get out of the bed. (Our bed squeaks a little bit) I was not sleeping as well because I would wake up everytime he moved. I was honestly tired of getting dressed in the dark, whispering when we went to bed, tip-toing around him. So Monday was the night. He did WONDERFUL! Much better than his mommy! I cried my little heart out. Bobby thought I was a little crazy, but it was sad to see his pack-n-play in our room and our baby boy not in it. By the way, the pack-n-play is still in our room, just in case he needs to come back. :) I put him in his crib about 9:00 Monday night and he slept until 5:15. I didn't sleep at all because I was too worried about listening to the monitor to make sure I could hear him breathe. And you know the 15 times I couldn't hear anything I was in his room checking on him. I got enough excercise going from one end of the house to the other to last me a whole week. Last night was great for Trace again and much better for me. I put him in his crib around the same time and he whimpered a few minutes and then fell asleep and slept until 5:15 again. However, last night he woke up around 1:15 screaming. Bobby went in to check on him and found Trace has pushed his leg all the way through the rail of the crib. That is kind of scary but my mom assures me that his circulation will not get cut off and he will cry if he is uncomfortable and we will just reposition him.

Four Months Already??

Where does the time go? On Trace's 4 month birthday, January 29th, 2008, we went to the doctor for his 4 month check-up. We got a great report. Trace now weighs in at 13 lbs. 4 oz. He has gained almost 8 lbs since he was born. They said he was doing wonderful. He has grown 6.5 inches since birth making him 24.5 inches long. My doctor is one of these who would perfer for me not to start him cereal until around 5.5 or 6 months. I am going to abide by his wishes and wait. He said if I wait then he will only have to eat cereal for about one week and then I can start him on fruits and vegatables (no meat until 9 months). I am sooo excited for Trace to enter the next phase of his life. It will be so fun to see his face when he gets "real food" for the first time.
He is a still a little shrimp though. He is still in his 3 month outfits. I bought him some 6 month outfits so that he could wear them in the winter thinking he would have fit. It looks I will be taking them back.
We are really enjoying everything he is doing now. He knows when Bobby and I are around and kicks his feet, pumps his arms and get really excited. He is not blowing as many bubbles anymore but is definitely drooling alot. He loves standing up (with our help of course) and loves taking baths.
He has been sleeping like a champ. He usually eats his final feeding between 7-8 o'clock and then doesn't want you to rock him when it is time for bed. He wants to go straight to his bed. He will fuss for a few minutes and then dose right off to sleep. And yes he is still in our bedroom. I just can't move him yet. I know though the longer I wait, the harder it will be. He normally will sleep from about 8:30 or 9:00 to 5:30. I am definitely not complaining about that. Muriel (MiMi) the lady that keeps Trace, told me not to get too used to it. I won't but will enjoy it while it lasts.

Fun with a GREAT Friend!!

Jennifer and Trace after his bath.
Trace and I were so excited to learn that Jennifer was going to come see us. I know we missed a great time at Jonathan Stutts' 30th birthday party! HAPPY BIRTHDAY JONATAHN!

Jennifer and I grew up together since 4th grade. We lived in the same neighborhood, went to the same church, same school, same after school babysitter, lived at each other's houses, same name (haha)...you could not seperate us!

After high school, Jennifer #2 decided to go to the "Orange" school (Clemson). I stayed and went to Spartanburg Methodist College. Later I decided to go with Bobby to the University of South Carolina. We have had fun ever since being "rivals."

It always great to see her and I am going to be her matron of honor in her wedding in April. Here are some cute pictures that she took while I gave Trace a bath tonight. We love and miss her and can't wait to see her again!

Trace praying for baseball season to start!!

It's Been Awhile

Ok. So I know it has been awhile since I last updated the blog. Updating more often should have been my New Year's resolution. Since the last post, we have celebrated Christmas in Spartanburg and North Augusta, Trace was in the hospital (he is fine now and was actually fine then-Praise Jesus!), Bobby and I traveled to Tampa for the bowl game which we would like to soon forget, my prents kept Trace for 4 days while we were gone, we welcomed in 2009, and so much more.

My little man is getting so big now. We go for his 4 month check-up on January 29th (his 4 month birthday!!). I can't wait to see how much he has grown. I think I am almost ready to start him on cereal but his doctor is one of those who says "no way" until 5.5 or 6 months. I will talk to him about it next week. Trace is starting to sit up (with our help of course), he tries to pull himself up when he is in his carseat or on your lap, he likes to stand in your lap, he smiles all the time, blows bubbles, sticks his tongue out and is now really sucking his thumb. He loves his new learning puppy Santa brought himl. It is about as big as he is. He just smiles and talks to it. It is the cutest thing ever.