2 Months Old

I'm 2 months old today! Where does the time go? New skills include smiling, making cute noises, and sleeping in my bed for 5 hours at a time! (I've only done that one time, but it's progress)

New Bumbo Chair

Nicholas is enjoying his new Bumbo chair that he got from uncle Gary & aunt Amy. He can sit up in it like a big boy and now he can look around at things other than the ceiling! It's like having his own recliner!

X-Box

Nicholas enjoys learning how to play baseball with dad on his X-box. They can relax in their comfy clothes and have some male bonding.

Playing

Funny Faces

Daddy Loves Me!

Booger

Look carefully in the right nostril and you'll see that Nicholas needs a kleenex. I even think his boogers are kinda cute!

Belly

Don't you just want to kiss that chubby little belly? Without a doubt, that is the cutest belly button I've ever seen!

Cuddle

Niles and Chloe' enjoyed a cuddle on a sunny day.

Hanging with dad

This kid has a way with words.

Naughty Kitties

All the kids had to stake their claim to a spot on mom's lap. It was a tight fit, but we made it! Later, the kitties staged a non-violent protest by having a sit-in in the baby's bassinet. They said they wouldn't move until Nicholas moved out. They admirably held their ground until I offered them a can of tuna if they'd surrender. You know Niles - he's always thinking with his stomach.

One Month Old

Time Flies! Nicholas is already a month old! He's over 9 1/2 pounds now and he's awake more often. He's also more willing to express his opinion about things, and very passionately so!

Pastry Certification

I attended my Pastry Certification Luncheon last week. I'm so glad I actually saw it through to the end. I'm looking forward to getting into the industry when Nicholas is a little older. Going to pastry school was extremely gratifying and I'd like to return to school to get the full culinary degree, but that might have to wait a while. In any case, if you need a wedding cake, an ice sculpture, or other food - related services, I can probably hook you up with one of my connections!

Nothing beats a good snooze

Nicholas loves to sleep - in the daytime, that is! I think he is so precious when he's sleeping. He's only more precious when he's awake, (except at 3:00 a.m.!)

Christmas 2006

My brother and sister-in-law Tim and Kristin recently relocated to the Raleigh-Durham area in North Carolina where Tim is working in the graphic design industry. Here they are with their precious daughters, Ruth, Laya & Naomi. I think that Tim and I will have to visit them and take in a little golf while we're at it. My nephews Kyle and Josh enjoyed Christmas at Grandpa Wager's house this year. Aren't they handsome?

Good Advice

Aint it the truth? Mom needs to get one of those shirts in her size.

My Little Peanut

Mom is starting to get back to normal, (what is normal again?). She looks like big tomatoe next to her little peanut!

Giddy Up!

Cousin Maddy had a ball at Easter this year! She has the biggest grin and longest eyelashes of any baby I've ever seen.

Why is he still here?

Chloe' isn't as fond of Nicholas as Abby, but she's doing pretty well. For those of you who know her, you'll understand that's it's a huge accomplishment that she has only hissed at him one time. We sent her to a Dale Carnegie course on "How to win friends and influence people" and she's doing much better, according to her cat psychologist.

Friends

These guys are going to teach Nicholas everything he needs to know about being a little boy! Teddy and T.J. are going to be good buddies!

Babysitting

We thought we'd get some use out of Abby Since she's the oldest cat and the most responsible, she took a turn at keeping an eye on Nicholas. Nobody's getting past this ferocious tiger!

Hangin' With the Boys

Here's Nicholas on the day he first met his 3 cousins, Adam, Andrew & Aaron. Aren't they a good looking bunch of boys?!

Bath Time

Nicholas seems to have a love-hate relationship with bathtime. Sometimes he pees in the tub, just like a little fountain! On this day, he just kicked back and relaxed.

We enjoyed a visit to Great Grandma Carrier's house on Sunday. Nicholas was very cooperative and we had a lovely afternoon, complete with chicken dinner.

Visitors

My sister and brother-in-law, Janet and Charlie, and their little boy Owen visited us. Little Owen loves his cousin Nicholas!

What a busy weekend! Nicholas was exactly 2 weeks old on Easter Sunday. Of course we had to dress him up in his holiday finest. Daddy didn't like the frilly outfit and bunny ears and slippers. He says that football players don't dress like that. But mommy thinks he was absolutely adorable!

Here's Nick with his Grandpa Wager. He settled in for a comfortable little nap. I think he looks a little like Grandpa!

All the Kids

Well, I guess the cats are resigned to the fact that the baby is here to stay! They figure, if they can't beat him, then join him!

He's finally here! I cannot really believe it! Our little Nicholas Timothy Carrier entered the world on March 25, 2007 at 1:48 p.m. weighing in at an impressive 8 lb. 8 oz. and 20.5 inches long. It was pretty much love at first sight. Spoken like a true mother, I've never seen a more beautiful baby in my life. He had to spend a couple hours in the NIC unit because his breathing was a little hesitant at first, but he is doing perfectly now. It has been 9 days since he was born and much of it is a blur. But wow, I never get tired of looking at him.

This is my nephew Alex and my sister Laura. They visited me at Christmas this year. Alex likes video games, ice skating and movies. His favorite movie is Harry Potter 4, (at least so far). His favorite video game is Lego Star Wars. He would like to go to college to be an architect. His mother, Laura, is working on her Phd in Psychology.

I just completed my Pastry Arts Certificate in December. It's more of a hobby than anything, but basically I like to make delicious and beautiful pastries. Someday, I might like to open a wine & cheese shop with specialty chocolates & pastries. This is a wedding cake I made for a friend last fall. I'm still a novice, but I learn something new from each project I complete.

Here I am 37 weeks pregnant. After one final attempt using a different procedure, we finally got pregnant and are expecting our first baby on March 17.

These are our beautiful oriental shorthair cats, Chloe', Abby & Niles. They are very spoiled, and in for a rude awakening when we have our first baby next week.

This is me and my hubby Tim on our 5th anniversary, April 21, 2006. We got married in the same place we're standing. It is the Wickwood Inn in Saugatuck, MI.

Tim brought me back as an anniversary gift after our 2nd failed IVF attempt. For those of you who don't know what IVF is, it stands for In-Vitro Fertilization. We had been trying for several years to have children but couldn't, and IVF was our last attempt. The cost is extremely prohibitive, and the drugs and surgeries are really hard on your body. We needed a getaway to recoup. Anyone else deal with the issue of infertility? I'd love to hear about your experiences.