Spoon School

Paul and I have different approaches when it comes to Caroline's eating. He prefers to keep things short and sweet: Caroline is not allowed to touch the spoon while being fed and there is little room for dallying, or Daddy will eat all your dinner. On the other hand, I let Caroline make a bit of a mess while she eats. I don't care if she rubs pureed squash in her hair and I've been allowing her to explore feeding herself with the spoon. Paul doesn't approve of Caroline's free access to utensils, but she's not going to learn how to feed herself without any practice!

Unfortunately, letting Caroline feed herself is much messier that I thought. At first, Caroline was so excited to get her hands on the spoon that she would flap it up and down, promptly flinging pureed fruit or vegetable across the room, into her hair, and (if they were lucky) into the mouths of her two dogs. Handing her a loaded spoon is slowly becoming less of a disaster though. She is able to get most of the food in her mouth before it falls off the spoon and into her lap. Tonight I watched her pick up the finger foods on her tray and try to put them onto the spoon before she ate them...that was really cute! The pictures below are from one the of first times Caroline went to "Spoon School."

Grad Dad

Whew! With everything that is going on in our lives these days, it's likely that I won't be able to blog about each little thing that happens. One event that I don't want to forget about though is Paul's graduation! That's right folks, Paul is officially a Darden alum and an MBA grad!

The graduation itself happened this past Sunday and was well done despite it being super long and hot (Caroline spent the bulk of the ceremony playing in a courtyard and working at the "concession stand" - see below). We were already proud of Paul for all of his hard work during his two years in B school while also maintaining stellar attendance at the local golf course, but we were pleasantly surprised at the graduation ceremony to learn that Paul won the Faculty Award for Academic Excellence! The award is granted to the top 10% of the graduating class and the students didn't know they had won until they were on the stage. It was a great moment for Paul when they called his name followed by the award announcement. Way to go, Mr. Smartypants!!

Following the graduation ceremony, we all went home to shower and change, since our clothes were drenched in sweat and no longer presentable, and then we headed off to the Veritas Winery. We had rented the facility with our group of friends. The scenery was amazing, the food was delicious, and of course the company was fantastic!
The dinner party was a great way to celebrate all the grads and to spend one last night together as a group. It's hard to believe that I won't be seeing my favorite ladies (and their men!) regularly anymore. It definitely makes for a bittersweet departure from Charlottesville.

The next big event on our horizon is our move to Richmond next week. We close on our house next Wednesday and should be in the home (and surrounded by boxes) by Friday. Look for moving cards coming in the mail next week!!

More Vacation Pics

Before the weekend gets too crazy with Paul's graduation events, here are some more pictures from our Florida trip. We all had a really nice time and as I said earlier, Caroline enjoyed the beach quite a bit.
She also enjoyed hanging out with the Hepper side of the family. She spent most of her time gossiping with Grandpa, having tea parties with Grandma, playing "keep away" with everyone, and chillin' on the couch. Mom and Dad's affections pale in comparision to attention she got while we were there.
Many thanks to the Grandparents Hepper for picking a fantastic beach house with a beautiful beach. Grandma Hepper could most certainly moonlight as a travel agent. :)


First family pic at the beach!


Caroline hanging out with Aunt Erin in the beach tent.


Uncle Tate and Aunt Donna hitting the waves in their sea kayak!

On Vacation

We've been missing from our blog lately because we're currently on vacation in Florida with the Hepper clan. We arrived on Sunday to a beautiful beach house in Santa Rosa Beach and have been thouroughly enjoying the ocean, the weather, and the down time!
Caroline absolutely LOVES the ocean. Even after taking several waves directly in the face, she wanted more ocean time. She just couldn't get enough.
I was also worried that the beach would appeal to her as an all-you-can-eat sand buffet, but she isn't interested in eating any sand. She just likes to motor around the beach, charming everyone in our vicinty with her cute swimsuit and sunhat.

Here are a few pictures of Caroline enjoying the beach. I'll try to add more pictures later, if I have time in between naps :)

Mother's Day

My first Mother's Day was just what I hoped it would be: relaxing and spent with the family. I enjoyed a picnic in the park with my two favorite people, received a handmade "coupon" for a new TV for the kitchen in our new house, and blissfully took a two hour nap!!
Oh, and I also gifted myself with the ability to say anything I wanted followed by "because it's Mother's Day." So, for example, "No, I won't change her diaper because it's Mother's Day." Or "No, I won't do the dishes because it's Mother's Day." And so on.

Boy, how I wish every day could be Mother's Day.

Here are some pictures from the picnic...

An Almost 1st Birthday Party

Caroline's first birthday is on June 6th. Normally, we'd throw her a party on her actual birthday, but with so many changes coming up in the next month or so, we decided to jump the gun and throw her a party now. All of Caroline's friends are here in Charlottesville, after all.

On Thursday, we had a poolside party with all of Caroline's friends (the little ones and the big ones). Of course, Caroline had no idea all this was in the works, but I was excited enough for the both of us. I made a cupcake cake (which took a lot of explaining to Paul, who had never heard of such a thing) for the guests, a mini cake for Caroline, and lots of sugar cookies for party favors. Add some pizza, lots of beer, and an amazing group of friends, and we were ready to party!

The weather was fantastic and everyone seemed to have a great time. Caroline was a very gracious hostess, looking adorable in her Lilly Pulitzter dress (thanks Aunt Donna and Uncle Tate!) while cruising around the pool deck, pizza crust in hand.
I think you can guess what her favorite part of the evening was though...the cake!

I think the video the cake eating speaks for itself...



Here are some other pictures from the evening...






The party was exactly what I wished for for Caroline's first birthday party. Of course, we'll still celebrate in a big way on her real birthday, but it meant a lot to me to have a chance to celebrate with our friends before we move.

11 Month Stats

Here's a quick stats update on Caroline, since today is her 11 month "birthday"...

Weight: 20 pounds, 5 ounces (Now all she has to do is turn one and she gets a "big girl" car seat!

Length: haven't a clue!

Teeth: 1!!! Finally, on Monday, I noticed a tooth breaking through the surface of Caroline's lower gums. It hasn't completely emerged yet, but it's a start! I can also tell that the tooth's next door neighbor is making it's way up too. Caroline is a pretty good teether so far. She doesn't want to chew on things more than usual, but she is a bit cranky.

Sleep: Generally sleeping through the night. But don't ask about this week :) And don't ask what time she gets up in the morning. It's too painful for all of us to talk about.

Motor skills: Caroline is a quite the cruiser! She moves along furniture with great ease and is beginning to let go and stand independently. I'm anxious for her to walk, but for now cruising and crawling seem to suit her just fine!

Interests: Caroline loves to play alone, with her dogs, and with Mommy and Daddy. She enjoys riding on her car, knocking over towers of blocks, reading books, dancing, and roughhousing on the couch and bed. She is learning to roll a ball and push a car to Mommy and Daddy!

That's about it! Caroline continues to be an easy going little lady who lights up our life.

We are so excited for her "Almost 1st Birthday" party tonight!! Check back over the weekend to see pictures of the fun and the special cake Mommy made for her.