The Carver Family

Explaining a Name

We've gotten a lot of comments, questions, and puzzled looks about Sara James' and Smith's maternal grandfather's given title, "Piper." A little background is necessary to fully understand it. Back when we first got pregnant, there was some discussion as to what Tricia's parents would be called. Her mom had settled on "Nana" long ago, but her dad was undecided. Actually, he had kind of settled on "Grumpy," but had gotten the veto from Nana! One day, apparently out of the blue, it came to Nana (perhaps even in a vision): Piper. What you may not know is that Piper plays the bagpipes, so it's entirely appropriate, not to mention unique! Here he is, both with his pipes and Sara James, and with Smith:

The First Day of Pre-School

Sara James started pre-school this week, and it's safe to say that she loves it! Three mornings a week she'll be learning, laughing, and giving her mama a little time to hang out with Smith and hopefully get some rest. Tricia got a very excited Sara James to sit still for a few minutes before they left yesterday, and I snapped a quick picture of SJC the Pirate once she got home. To make it very clear, Sara James did not wear the bandana to pre-school, but she did enjoy putting on her "silly hat."

Funny Faces

Smith is growing rapidly; faster in fact than we can keep up with. With the exception of a few sleepless nights (okay, maybe more than a few), he has been fantastic! It's hard to believe that he'll be one month old on Monday! In the meantime, here are a couple of shots from the last few days. Enjoy these little glimpses of our little boy:

Family and the Day You're Born

One of the unique stories that is now woven into Smith's life (and will no doubt be told to him over and over as he grows up!) is that he shares a birthday with his maternal grandmother. August 1st is now an even more special day in our family! As if that weren't special enough, Tricia was actually born on her maternal grandfather's birthday, so this has been a common thread throughout their family. Ultimately it all adds up to a very rich legacy for our children, and for that, we're terribly grateful. Here are a few pictures from the past few days: Tricia and her mother snuggle up for a shot with Smith, Uncle Chris drove up from Auburn for a visit with his nephew, and Sara James, after requesting a chance to hold Smith, enjoyed some couch time with her little brother.

Meeting the Cousins

Sara James loves her cousins, Carver and Springer, and was thrilled (to the point of not taking her afternoon nap) when we told her they were coming to meet Smith. On one of my failed attempts to get her to lie down and fall asleep, she looked at me and said "me cousins, daddy...come to play." Clearly meeting the newest cousin was secondary to the plans she was already making in her mind, and as they pulled in the driveway, a huge grin spread across her face. Here are a few shots of their time together, and with Smith. In addition to his sister, he has two sweet friends anxious to get to know him!

Welcome to the World: The Remix

As a means of filling in the gaps, here's a quick review of our time in the hospital. We arrived at 7:30AM Friday morning, and were out by about 1:00PM Sunday afternoon. As with Sara James, this was a great experience. The hospital staff was caring and attentive. In fact, they actually seemed to give us more room to just hang out with Smith than they did with SJC. Perhaps it was our second-time parent status that lent us all that credibility! Thanks to all our friends and family that visited us while we were there! Thank you for loving us well, and for loving this little boy. Sara James made two trips to the hospital, but like any two year old, was much more interested in 1) figuring out why her mom was in that funny bed, 2) eating hospital ice, 3) making funny faces (evidenced below), and 4) spending time with both sets of grandparents. Regardless, we're glad to be home, but at the same time, we formed life-long memories during those two days. Even though we barely slept, I don't think either of us would trade that for the world...

Welcome to the World!

The wireless connection here at the hospital isn't the fastest, so we'll be adding more pictures in the days to come, however, we would like to introduce you to Emerson Smith Carver! Weighing in at 8 pounds, 9 ounces, and standing (theoretically) at 21.25 inches, Smith came into the world at 3:15PM this afternoon. Tricia is tired, but feeling good (good enough to eat some Krystals), Smith is resting well (after meeting his enegetic big sister today), and I couldn't be happier. Thank you for your thoughts, your prayers, and for all your love!

The Final Countdown

It's more than just a terribly awesome song by Europe...it's exactly where our family of four (I'm not going to leave Mackenzie the Dog out...she's dealing with enough change as it is) finds itself. After 39 long weeks of pregnancy, we're on the brink of adding one more to the fold. Tricia had her final appointment with her OB this morning, and we are number four on the list of inductions scheduled for this Friday. Fortunately all signs are favorable for a smooth delivery (which is no doubt easier for me to say). Smith is head down, and riding low. There's still time for him to show up on his own, but if not, we (and by that I mean a trained team of medical professionals) are ready to provide a little encouragement. This is it. It's almost go time. In the meantime, we're about ready to crawl out of our skin. The months leading up to today seemingly flew by, but now these final days feel like slow motion. At the same time, we're cherishing this time with Sara James. Afternoons at the pool, pizza around the dining room table, and dance parties upstairs before a sleeping baby makes that a little more difficult.

We'll be adding pictures as soon as we're able, and keeping everyone up to date on those all-important stats (don't forget...I weighed in at just over eleven pounds!).

Bubbles aren't just for bath time...

Backyard exploration

I came home on Friday afternoon just as Sara James was waking up from her nap. As usual, she woke up with boundless energy, and two words: pink shoes. She also wanted her fish visor, and to go outside (despite being dressed in the t-shirt and seersucker shorts she had napped in). So, that's exactly what we did! Here she is...in all her ragamuffin glory:

A Few From the 4th

We spent last weekend in Columbus celebrating the 4th (along with a wedding shower for our friends Brad and Sally). Although she watched the fireworks on the Marietta Square last year, and the year before, we were unsure how she would react this year. To say she loved them would be an understatement! Even though we were up well past her bed time (and after an afternoon of swimming), SJC jumped, danced, clapped, shouted, and celebrated the explosions in the sky! Enjoy a few shots from that night, and a few more from the day after:

Summer Faces

A Weekend with the Cousins

Part of playing catch-up is picking up where you left off, and in my effort to bring the ol' family blog current, I'm doing just that. One month ago, my neice and nephew spent the weekend with us. Sara James was actually enjoying a week in Columbus with her maternal grandparents, and came home in time to find her cousins waiting on her! Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time together. Carver and Springer are precious to Aunt Tricia and me, and adored by their little cousin. Here are a few glimpses of our time together:

The Second Birthday!

Regardless of how hard it is for us to believe, our little girl is now a wild and wonderful two year-old. We celebrated her second birthday the first weekend of the month, and gratefully we had a variety of cameras snapping away, because I never picked ours up. The difference between the SJC of last year (who was just along for the ride at her party), and this year (clearly the party girl!) was so much fun to watch. She clapped, giggled, unwrapped, and jumped with glee. Enjoy these few glimpses of our slightly damp cook-out...it was a blast!

Weekend in Charlotte!

Earlier this month, we slipped out of town for a long weekend in Charlotte with the Hiatt's. For weeks leading up to our trip, we worked with SJC on the names: Uncle Giorgio, Aunt Amanda, Carver and Springer (and Lucy the Dog). Not only did she incorporate them into her ever-expanding vocabulary, she's kept it up, and can identify her extended family in pictures! Needless to say, we all had a wonderful time, and Sara James enjoyed every minute (especially shadowing her almost six year-old cousin, Carver). During our time together, we hit up a semi-local Wild Animal Park, and the nature museum. Sara James got to enjoy her two favorite things: being outside, and being with her cousins. We love y'all, and can't wait to see you in June!