A Whole New World can be Seen When Sitting up in the Car

Carson's last ride in the baby seat to church this morning


Today was quite a big day for Carson. He has graduated from his infant carrier to his big boy seat. Not sure if the weight or the age is the true deciding factor in this transition but to say bursting at the seams doesn't say enough. Although just now 10 months old, at 23 and a half pounds Carson just couldn't make it any longer in the infant carrier. Not to mention that I just can't carry him in it any longer. He loves riding in his new seat, although on the way home from Grandpa's tonight seemed to prove to be a challenge. It is a little tougher to drink a bottle and fall asleep while sitting up and the world takes on a whole new scary appearance twirling by so fast in the dark


Look at Carson in his new big boy seat.

Nothing Beats a Simple Spring Day

To ease such a hectic few weeks we wanted to share some of our simple photos. Brad just loves it when I walk in and say come on I need you to ride with me down the road to help get a few photos of the kids. I love any opportunity to take pictures of my children and the buttercups of spring seemed to be a perfect reason.





I have really fallen behind on updates but to say things around the Hooper household have been hectic is an understatement. I suppose is seems longer than it really has been when you are working on little to no sleep. But hopefully things will be a little slower this week. After Papa in the hospital and his cardiac cath on Monday, Caroline came down with a virus and kept a fever ranging from 102.5 to 104.7 until late Wednesday night. So after being at the hospital until about 10:30 almost every night with Papa for the past 2 weeks and getting home around 11:15 and then up all night worrying over a sick child and then Carson came down with the same virus I felt like I couldn't drag on another second. But now with both children basically well with just a snotty nose left and things on an up hill climb for Papa The Lord has yet again given me the strength to pull through.

Thank you to everyone that has been praying for my grandfather. His cath results did not fair as good as we were hoping. Of course we were hoping for them to go in and find absolutely nothing but instead they found 3 arteries 90% blocked so they decided at the time not to put stents in; that he would need a triple bypass. Before and after the cath Papa's improvement seemed to be on a roller coaster ride. One minute things seemed as if he would be walking out of there by the end of the day and the next you couldn't get him to wake up. Then he would wake up and be glad to see everyone and the next would be back down hill. After a fall out of the bed while in CICU because he decided he was ready to go home and several other tests, it has been determined that he did suffer a heart attack along with several strokes. So for right now the bypass surgery is on hold and they are talking about trying the stents instead in maybe 30 to 60 days. The stroke seems to be the biggest challenge to overcome at the moment. He is unable to walk right now with out assistance which would be difficult for anyone to accept. He is in the cardiac step down unit at Baptist East and hopefully will be able to return home soon. Please continue to keep him in your prayers. If it is the Lord's will he will be healed.

Today was such a beautiful day. Although a day of rest Sunday is a busy day for me in the sense that it is the end of my week and the beginning of my next week all rolled into one. It works out great for me that way because whatever bad I have endured the week before I don't have to carry anymore with me past Sunday and I start fresh and new to start a bright new week. Today we went to a family fish fry at Grandpa Ronnie's for Jared's birthday. Caroline had a blast learning to drive the 4-wheeler. If you can call pushing the gas with no steering involved or even looking to see where you may be going driving but all the same she very much enjoyed herself.

Praying for Papa

Today was a day I would have rather spent anywhere but where I did. My grandfather, Papa to me, New Papa to all of his great-grandchildren, daddy to some, brother to others, a husband and a great influence to many is in the Cardiac ICU at Baptist East. He suffered from a heart-attack Saturday night. I say would have rather spent the day anywhere but where I did not because I didn't want to be where I was but because I didn't want it to be my Papa laying there, unable to speak. It is times like these that you sit and ponder about all the times you should have visited but things were too busy or the kids were sick but it is not the time for me to regret, I know all I can do is pray and lay it in the Lord's hands but for all of you that follow my blog please say a prayer for my grandfather. We have a large family with him having 5 brothers and 1 sister and 1 son, 4 daughters and 2 step-sons and all the wives, children and grandchildren that come along with that his life has a great impact on a lot of people. Please pray for my Papa. I know whatever is in the Lord's plan will come to pass but keep us in your prayers.

My Sweet Little Roley Poly

Carson is 9 months old now and he's growing up so fast. Something about knowing it is your last one makes all the milestones a little sadder. We went for our 9 month check up the other day and he now weighs a whopping 21 pounds. Which is fine with me cause i just love little Roley poly babies. He now has 4 teeth on the top and 4 more on the bottom. He has been crawling all over the place and now is starting to stand on his own. He pushes his little walker all over the place. I know he will be walking soon and I am really not ready for it. I remember I couldn't wait for Caroline to start walking and soon after wished she was still being carried. But with Carson my last little baby will be up and gone on to being a big boy. Just seems a little sad doesn't it?

A Winter Wonderland

I wished for a little more snow and we got just a little. That was a couple of weeks ago and then this surprise which is one of the biggest we've had in forever. They say since what 1968 or something like that. I thought we had a huge snow like this in 1980 something but I guess when you're 5 or so the snow seems a lot deeper in relation to your height at the time. The day started with a forecast of what they were calling Teflon snow that wouldn't stick much, to 2-5 inches to what we ended up with. As our day started, I was home on my off day and Brad was out of town for going on the 3rd day. Caroline, Carson and I decided we would have a lazy day and wait on daddy to get home around 5 for dinner. We stayed in our pj's most of the day and as I was busying myself with all the fun have too's of being a grown up I heard Caroline say "Look Carson!! That's snowing!" They sat at the window watching forever. It snowed harder and harder. Brad called to say he was about 2 hours away so we decided we would wait on him to get home to bundle up and go out. 3 1/2 hours later Brad called and said the roads were terrible and he knew it was getting dark but he should be home in about 15 minutes. At this time we could hardly wait, so we started the process of layers. After about 30 more minutes we knew it was either go out without Daddy or wait until the morning. Since we were already layered we trekked outside. The wind was TERRIBLE! So if you've ever ventured out in a blizzard just to catch some pictures of a 2 year old and a 9 month old it really ends up being a short process. HAHA!! The wind was blowing so hard it kept taking Carson's breath away. Caroline was mad cause she couldn't play on her swing set much less see how to get to it and it was snowing so hard that most of our pictures showed more of the snow than of Caroline and Carson which I was trying to get pictures of.







By the next morning it had quit snowing but with the wind, there were many areas in our yard that reached well over 2 feet due to the snow drifts. The wind was still pretty strong but we did enjoy our time while we were outside playing. Since church was canceled we were out around 8am which is on the late side considering our children rise and shine with the sun. Caroline loved the snow. We tried to slide which didn't work out well. Neither did her car. A snowman is much, much work. It was much easier when my parents helped me build it.(Maybe they know a secret they forgot to share with me) Our progress on the snowman didn't get very far but when your 2 and 9 months and occupy your parents arms snowman building takes on a whole new dimension of difficulty. Even Knox and Libby had a terrific time chasing each other around and around. It was a Wonderful day filled with lots of memories and lots of laughter. So if you want to count this one Carson has had a wonderful 1st winter of snow.

"Moobie" Night

Movie Night has begun at our house and it is one of our favorite family times. Brad and I share a love for movies of most any kind although he is much better at picking out really good ones than I. We have now taken it to the next level and used that love for a way to capture good family time together. It use to be a lot more comfortable when we could snuggle up on the couch with a big blanket and we have now moved to the floor with a BIG tangled pile of blankets. But that makes it all the more enjoyable because this is the one time that OCD mom loosens up a little and we can make a mess. Even little Carson enjoys laying back and relaxing as you can tell. Caroline can't wait for the next "moobie" night. (She'll get those v's down soon and I'll miss the mispronunciation)

The innocence of a Child

Kids have such amazing minds. As 2 year olds go especially talkative little girls, Caroline and i usually have our best conversations in the car when we are both required to sit still. The other morning Caroline shared something with me that filled be with such joy that only the pure innocence of a child can. We were on our usually morning trip to the babysitters at 6:30 in the morning and she says "Ohhh! mommy look it's pink!" I respond "What's pink?" she responds "over there" as I figure out she is talking about the sunrise. I respond with "isn't it pretty? Do you know why the sky turns pink? Cause the sunshine is coming up" and she responds with the most innocent "Jesus wakes the sunshine up cause Jesus love me and you too mommy" The when we arrived at Mrs.Gail's she couldn't wait to run in to share with Mrs. Gail that she had a pink sky at her house too cause Jesus loves her too. It is so amazing to me that at such a young age, a child can be so in tune to the love and protection we receive from our heavenly father.

The Hidden Valentine's Day Suprise

I must take the time to brag on my husband. I was so suprised this year on Valentine's Day when Brad gave me a beautiful dozen red roses. Especially since we never spend money on things like flowers not to mention that Brad hates Valentine's Day so we usually don't even acknowledge the day at all. I guess that's what made them so special to me. Because they were totally unexpected to me as ironic as it seems, especially on Valentine's Day. It seems so small but do you ever stop and wonder how perfect God's plan seems to work out. Though sometimes you may not always understand why things are the way that they are. The longer Brad and I are together the better things become, the closer we get, the more we seem to understand one another and I guess that is the point in a marriage but God has helped us to develope this new appreciation for each other and we have come to realize that our differences are the stronghold that bonds us together. That our differences become ones strength to hold up the others weaknesses. We have been studying marriage enrichment at a class at church and one of our most recent discussions delt with the world's 50/50 plan where we both do our part and meet in the middle to get everything done although no one can ever seem to agree on exactly where the middle is versus God's plan for marriage from Ephesians 5. And God's plan of 100% from both parties all the time. I think all my married friends no matter how wonderful their marriage is should take the time to read Ephesians 5 with their spouse. Marriage truely is, can be and should be a wonderful blessing from God. And it seemed only fitting to praise such with my wonderful Valentine's Day suprise. Simply put and I try to remember this each day... that to live your marriage as God designed it to be you should do all that you can each day to lighten the load your spouse carries each day. No matter how trivial or how minute those little things can add up to weigh quite a lot.

A Circus at the Circus

Our first Circus was... well a circus but I guess that's the way kids can be sometimes. Besides that we tried to squeeze it into an already packed day in Memphis on Valentine's Day during nap time, then it becomes obvious that it was by no means the fault of Caroline and Carson that it was a day to put behind us. So after all the whines and requests for blinking snow cones and light swords, cotton candy and popcorn we made it through to the end. All in all it was still our first circus and therefore whatever memories we have from it we will one day look back and cherish. Pictures didn't get high on the priority list for this event. Under the circumstances, and to add that most of the time things were dark or too far away to capture a good image... It was Caroline's first of few times to get to ride an elephant and a one of many to ride a pony (but I'm certain that a circus pony is completely different than any other pony) All in all it was a memory all children should have and I'm grateful the Lord blesses me with the means to give my children these memories to cherish.

Bull Riding and Cowgirls

It's hard to tell from these pictures but this was our first experience with Caroline being a little cowgirl. She would rather watch bull riding than most anything on TV even cartoons. So off we went to watch the event in person. So lets just say that the bleachers where quite exciting in themselves but it was fun just the same.

Thank you Lord for that one more snow...

Yes a bit late but we had to share our snow memories we made this year. This was Carson's 1st snow. Next year Carson will be able to actually play. As for Caroline, boy what a difference a year can make. Last year she hated the snow but this year... Well lets just say where the snow lands and what method it gets to your mouth should make it taste different right? Caroline had the most fun eating the snow. We even brought some in to make snow cream with. Thank you Lord for that one more snow I hoped for so we could enjoy it a little bit.

Our Anniversary

Our 3 year anniversary will be this week. I am thankful that I found such a wonderful man to take care of me. Brad is such a wonderful dad. He takes so much time with Caroline and Carson. It hasn't been that long and with as busy as our lives have stayed it makes it seem even shorter. Within that 3 short years we have so much to celebrate and be thankful for. The first year we built a new house and Caroline was born that September. Building a house while being pregnant in the first year of marriage should be my sign that we can get through anything. Year two we were pregnant again and had Carson May 2008. We thank the Lord for all that he has blessed us with and and continues to bless us with and for the ability to be able to celebrate all these special times in our lives.

All Bundled Up but We Missed the Snow

We missed playing in the snow this week because I had to work that day, but we were all ready for it. Maybe we will get just one more snow like that before the weather gets warm

The Sink has Shrunk

With Caroline becoming such a big girl we though we would have just one more bath in the kitchen sink before she really isn't a baby anymore. It was lots of fun but somehow more work than it was when she was a tiny baby. And yes she is too big for this and it will have to be the last. Sometimes it is just hard to let go and know that your children aren't little babies anymore.

We are on our way to being a big girl

One day before Christmas, Caroline just decided that diapers were for babies and she wasn't wearing them anymore. It was time for big girl panties. So with enthusiasm I went with it. It has been a long process that we are still working on with some days being lots better than others but since she refuses to wear a diaper because "I not a baby, I a big girl" what choice do I have but to trudge along in hopes that accidents and wet pants will soon be behind us.

One little Monkey jumping on the Bed

As silly as it sounds this is really working for us. Each night before bed Caroline gets to jump in her big girl bed and now Caroline for the most part is sleeping in her own bed all night. So at 2 and a half Brad and I have finally gotten her out of our bed. So here's to a restful night.

Patty Cakes Custom Children's Clothing

Our Softest Minky outfits with matching appliqued shirts.




Our first of many photo shoots for our Nonnee's blog. With my mother busy making children's clothes, many of which are for my children we decided we would from time to time show off some of what she makes on our own blog.
Visit Nonnee's blog at www.pattycakes-designsforchildren.blogspot.com

The Lord Blesses in His Time

This is a praise for my mother. The Lord has blessed her with a wonderful talent, that of sewing. She has sewn for the public for 35 years now, and after devoting her time to raising her children has decided she would like to sew for the public full time. Not just because she is my mother but she truly has a one of a kind talent. She can make anything you can imagine from children's clothing, to wedding dresses and bridesmaid dresses, to draperies, bedspreads and coverlets, quilts to coats, costumes and dance apparel you name it and she can create it. But her true passion is children's clothing and design. Smocking, embroidery, monogramming, applique, french hand sewn and more. For a few years now she has been working to get her business started and after a struggle last year for us to create a web-site without much response it seemed as if maybe the time just wasn't right. Now thanks to my friends, my new introduction to blogging has given me hopes in helping her once again try to get her name out to the public. Please check out her new blog at: http://pattycakes-designsforchildren.blogspot.com/
Add it to your blogs to follow and send it to all you think would be interested. I pray the Lord will have his hand in this. With Him I know she can succeed with her new children's line Patty Cakes.