Carla's Corner, Perry's Place & J.P's Spot

First Bath

2012-02-14T14:41:00.000-06:00

Not sure about this...

Still not sure.

OK, I HATE this.

Maybe baths aren't all bad.

A quiet moment with big brother completes the experience.

My New Baby Brother

2012-02-11T18:25:00.001-06:00

I love my new baby brother, J.P. I am always trying to burp, hold, play with him and change his diaper. Here I snuck in a few kisses while Mommy had her camera out!

Pretty as a Princess

2011-12-29T15:47:00.000-06:00

Carla looks as pretty as a princess in her new Christmas dress from her Grandma Perry in San Diego.

Trying to get a four and two-year old to sit still for a picture at 6 p.m. when they're all dressed up is like herding cats.

We did our best.

Christmas morning in front of the tree.

Carla with one of her favorite presents...a playdoh ice cream factory.

It's so unseasonably warm here in Omaha that the kids played outside on December 29 for an hour AND the grass was green.

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-14T14:05:00.000-06:00

Here are some pictures of our recent trip to the Lauritzen Gardens where we got to see lots of poinsettias, christmas trees and trains running throughout the display. We're also happy with all of the beautiful Christmas outfits family members are sending our way. Mom says she's going to do her best to get us in all of them before Christmas.

Happy Birthday Perry!

2011-11-02T13:56:00.000-05:00

Perry wearing Uncle Timothy's hat.

Carla with Uncle Timothy.

Mommy, Carla and Perry with the pumpkins we carved.

Daddy's behind the camera and Uncle Joseph hasn't gotten here quite yet as we put the pumpkins outside on the porch for the first time.

Our pumpkins!

Perry's cake. Can you tell he loves Buzz Lightyear???

Perry getting ready for cake.

Daddy getting a kiss from his Daddy.

Getting ready to blow out my candles.

Eating my birthday cake.

Carla's Four!

2011-10-15T20:22:00.000-05:00

Our sweet little Carla Marie turned 4 on Sept. 22. We started the day with a trip to McDonald's for breakfast where we shared egg Mcmuffins.

Grandma and Grandpa Penfold came out all the way from Florida to celebrate with us. Here, Grandpa read a special book to Carla that he and Grandma recorded themselves.

We had burgers, chips and a special Thomas the Train cake for dessert.

Carla insisted (joyfully) that everyone wear party hats. Grandma found some neat Thomas ones at Walmart.

Just before diving into the cake...

Carla says the cake and ice cream is great.

Opening presents...

A week later, we capped off Carla's birthday festivities with a special sleepover with her best friend, Sasha. Here, the two cuddled up to watch a Strawberry Shortcake movie.

Perry's Ready for the Fall

2011-09-16T13:05:00.000-05:00

Just a cute pic I wanted to share from yesterday.

San Diego Trip!

2011-09-05T20:18:00.000-05:00

Iowa State Fair

2011-08-26T06:05:00.000-05:00

Here are some pictures of our trip to the Iowa State Fair.

Park!

2011-06-20T08:23:00.000-05:00

There seems to be nothing the kids love more than going to the park. Here's some pics from a recent trip.

Slip n Slide

2011-06-20T08:11:00.000-05:00

Here are pictures from a recent slip n' slide "adventure" in the backyard. The kids love it and we love watching them play!

Cruise Pics

2011-06-01T20:53:00.000-05:00

Okay, so there aren't any kid pics in here, but it seemed to be the easiest way to share photos with family and friends who are anxiously waiting to see the beautiful cities we visited in Puerto Rico, Barbados, St. Lucia, St. Kitts, St. Martin and St. Thomas. We had such a fabulous time! Highlights were surfing in Barbados, hearing the Gypsy Kings play in San Juan, relaxing in a hammock grove at the Caribe Hilton in Puerto Rico, seeing the rainforests in St. Lucia and St. Kitts and going snorkeling in St. Thomas. Enjoy!

Trip to the Gardens

2011-05-04T09:48:00.000-05:00

Disney World Christmas

2011-01-01T13:11:00.000-06:00

Above: Riding the Teacups with Daddy at Disney World for Christmas 2010.

Here are some pictures from the day!

Perry Turned One...A month Ago!

2010-12-06T20:00:00.000-06:00

Sorry to post these pics so late but such is the life when you work full time from home and have two little ones under 3 to love :) And I want more (my husband says I'm crazy). Enjoy!

Purple pancakes for the KSU vs. NU game.

Watching Dora together.

Carla was very proud of her pumpkins.

Perry loves the new drum he got for his bday. Actually, he LOVES all music and sways whenever a good beat comes on.

Singing Happy BDay.

Getting ready for cake.

Sitting up and Smiling Big!

2010-08-04T20:45:00.000-05:00

Perry at nine months. He loves to laugh and smile. And now, sit up!

A Visit From our West Coast Grandparents!

2010-08-04T20:43:00.000-05:00

We got to see our Grandparents from San Diego for a whole week!

Family!

Look at those hands!

Carla has fun in the Childrens' Garden at Lauritzen Gardens.

Swinging at the Gardens with Grandpa.

Grandpa and Perry sacked out at the pool.

Carla loves Costco, especially when Grandpa is pushing the cart.

Grandma Perry gets to sit in between her two grandkids.

Standing in Granpa's shoes.

Grandma Perry sees her grandson for the first time!

Big smile for a big girl!

Sitting up and smiling big.

Pic of the Day

2010-06-12T22:07:00.001-05:00

Uncle Joe

2010-06-12T21:30:00.003-05:00

My Uncle Joseph came to visit us and meet my brother Perry for the first time. I had so much fun with "Yosef" as I like to call him. We ate ice cream, went to the lake and even, as you can see below, took a drink from a water-fountain, "red-neck style."

Mommy's Busy!

2010-06-12T21:09:00.004-05:00

My mommy says sorry for the long hiatus but she's been busy trying to keep me from doing things like this:

She's trying to redirect my energy into more productive, and less harmful ways...

One thing we love doing is having breakfast together every morning. Mommy's teaching me how to sit in a big-girl chair while I eat.

Like a Cat in a Basket

2010-04-27T20:00:00.002-05:00

Carla just crawled in the other day and started playing. It reminded me of our cat who loves to sit in baskets!

Loving on my baby brother.

"Cheese Pizza!!!"

My Brother's Keeper

2010-04-18T14:40:00.003-05:00

No one makes Perry smile like I do. I love Ree.

Pizza!

2010-04-18T14:33:00.003-05:00

Ishared pizza with Mom and Dad the other night and had so much fun.

2010-04-15T20:12:00.002-05:00

Here are some recent pics of me and my baby brother. He's growing just about as big as me. Here he is in his purple and here I am relaxing on the couch and looking rather Yoda-ish in my bath towel.

Zoo Trip

2010-04-15T19:31:00.006-05:00

Carla enjoyed the monkeys and the big cats.

Perry wasn't so sure.

Bonjour!

2010-04-02T11:39:00.004-05:00

My grandma went to Paris and brought me back some Pooh sous-vêtements. That's "underpants" in French. I like them so much that I put two pair on at once. I'm not going to show you the other pair!

New Dresses!

2010-03-26T16:30:00.003-05:00

Thanks Grandma!

2010-03-25T19:32:00.003-05:00

My mema just sent me a pretty new dress. I love wearing it but Mommy says I am pretty no matter what I wear. :)

Our New Kitchen

2010-03-18T14:01:00.002-05:00

We just got our whole house painted...well, it feels like the whole house to me. Really, it's just the upstairs living area and kitchen, but I love it!

Made to Worship

2010-03-10T20:10:00.004-06:00

Carla is at a very neat stage in life. She's beginning to remember things we talk about with her. Just the other morning, we took a moment to talk about the birds. It was fun because the snow is melting here and they are finally beginning to be heard and seen. I told her that morning what Jesus told His listeners in the most famous sermon ever preached:

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?" - Matthew 6:25-26

The next day, I heard Carla exclaim at the window "Birdies!" I then asked her, "Who takes care of the birds?" to which she responded, "Jesus!" Nothing pleases our hearts more than to see Carla learning truth at such a young age.

Are you smarter than your cat?

2010-03-05T09:11:00.006-06:00

That is the question I asked myself as I watched Carla and her new best friend play together this morning. I am quite thankful that Carla and Willie have become fast friends. He used to flee from her in terror, searching for any dark place where he could hide from her. But now, something marvelous has happened - they seem to be entertained by the same things, like, as you'll see in this video, playing with a piece of string for seemingly hours on end. That made me wonder if Carla and Willie's new found affection for each other is based on their sharing similar levels of mental acuity. Oh, one day soon Carla will surpass Willie, leaving his pea-sized intellect in the recesses of her subconscious, but today, it is fun to see them enjoy each other's company.

Brotherly Love

2010-03-05T08:57:00.005-06:00

Carla is quite taken with her baby brother. I smiled one morning when I saw Carla sit down on the couch and ask to 'read' to Perry. Before they dove into the latest issue of the POST (Omaha Bible Church's monthly newsletter), they shared a kiss and posed for a picture.

iPod Generation

2010-01-27T08:17:00.003-06:00

This morning I caught Carla with the cord I use to connect my camera to my computer. She was using it to listen to music as she has seen me do with my ipod. It made no difference that there was no music playing - Carla was simply enjoying the music in her head. :)

Picture of the Day

2010-01-22T07:42:00.003-06:00

My Mommy had to go back to work this week so Daddy gave her a beautiful bouqet of flowers. I like to smell them!

I Love Ladybugs

2010-01-22T07:36:00.004-06:00

Thanks to my Grandma Perry for sending me my new favorite outfit.

Winter

2010-01-22T07:28:00.003-06:00

With the kind of winter Omaha's been having this year, I've had a lot of pretty white snow to look at from my window. I love looking at the snow but even more than that, I LOVE to build and wear snowmen. They make me smile!

A Trip to the Mall

2010-01-22T06:51:00.002-06:00

Winters in Omaha make it hard for a toddler to find a place to play. Mommy and Daddy took me to the mall where I was able to run around with a whole bunch of other kids!

Tea for Two

2010-01-05T12:43:00.003-06:00

I do love my baby brother. Ever since Christmas, I've been loving serving Perry, Mommy and Daddy tea. This morning, I served Perry up a few cups.

Presents!

2009-12-27T15:57:00.004-06:00

Merry Christmas! This one is for all my "memas" and "bepas."

Snow Pictures

2009-12-27T15:04:00.002-06:00

Mommy and I get all dressed up to go play in the snow for the first time.

Do I really have to wear all these clothes?

Snow!

It's a little cold but I think I like it.

Snow!

2009-12-27T14:32:00.003-06:00

I got to play in the snow for the first time on the day after Christmas. It was so much fun. Cold, but fun. Mommy and I threw snow into the air and rolled down the hill. Next trip, snow angels!

Merry Christmas!

2009-12-27T09:18:00.003-06:00

My third Christmas started out with a lot of snow. The "Blizzard of '09" brought Omaha about 10 inches of snow. I loved looking at it and later, playing in it!

My expression after Mommy and Daddy told me we were going to open presents.

I am as pretty as a present!

An Elmo Christmas book!

This was the first year I had the mobility skills to unwrap presents myself!

I wonder what's in the box...

Still looking...

Thank you!

2009-12-23T12:00:00.003-06:00

I have been very busy "showing love" to my baby brother Perry. I am still learning how to be gentle though and so I've earned a new nickname - sledgehammer. My Daddy says I am as subtle as a mac truck. I do love my brother though. And, I love teaching him about KState!

Welcome Home Baby Perry!

2009-11-10T20:48:00.005-06:00

Welcome to the inagural Perry post! Perry Howard Schmoll (my baby brother) was born on October 29 at 3:58 p.m. He weighed 9 lbs., 5 oz. and was 22 inches long. Here are a few of my favorite pictures from Perry's first two weeks.

Big Girl Bed

2009-09-16T13:56:00.005-05:00

Well, it's been about two months now and Carla has finally gotten used to sleeping in a big girl bed. This almost two-year old is growing up fast! She still loves to smile, as you'll see from the pictures below. But, she's recently learned the art of watching Sesame Street from her cozy little pink rocking chair while sipping some cool water and enjoying a tasty snack of ... raisins. I know, the first armchair food that comes to mind but hey, we've got a growing girl here that we need to regulate. Enjoy the new pictures.

Look at all those teeth!

Kickin' back with some raisins.

Learning how to brush my teeth.

I still love to smile!

Reading one of my favorite books - "The Bee Book" (this by the way has prompted Carla when out in the back yard recently to go over to a colorful bush, ablaze with bees of all shapes and sizes, plop down, and start yelling "hi bees, hi bees" while waving frantically at them.

My uncles would be proud.

Go State!

2009-09-16T13:15:00.003-05:00

While that may be an unfamiliar term here in Nebraska where no one follows a team with "State" in their name, it has become one of Carla's hallmarks - thanks to her Daddy's faithful and consistent training. Yes, Carla is learning early to favor purple and sing along with the Kansas State University fight song. The other day in the bathtub she just spontaneously burst into a rendition of "Fight, you KState Wildcats, for alma mater fight, fight, fight!" I quickly got my camera and tried to catch her while she was in the mood. She needed a little prompting from me but I knew her raw enthusiasm would make her Daddy proud. Enjoy!

Some Pics of our Trip to Minneapolis

2009-08-10T20:19:00.003-05:00

Wow, I can't believe Mommy let me go a whole month without updating my adoring fans as to what I have been doing lately. In the last month, we've taken a trip to Minneapolis, I've expanded my vocabulary to include words like "nose," "night-night," "dide" (aka outside), "pease," "sna," (aka 'snack') and more. I've also shown that I don't know my own strength. I can rearrange furniture, pick up a ten pound bag and pull down baby gates. A few weeks ago my crib lost a wall so that has made nap time and sleeping at night lots of fun:) Well, speaking of bed ,I'd better get to it. Enjoy the pictures!

My first bike ride!

Splashing in a 'poo' (that's how I say pool) with Mommy.

Me and Mommy in a bike.

Me, Mommy and Daddy - I had so much fun!

Some New Dresses and the Garden Going Nuts!

2009-07-01T15:06:00.004-05:00

I have been having a lot of fun wearing dresses that Grandma Perry gave me and playing in the garden. Here are some shots Mommy took of me in my pretty pink dress and cool patterned one. She says I can't wear them much longer becuase I keep growing so fast that now they look like shirts instead of dresses. There's also some pictures here of the garden Mommy and I are growing and the garden we made for my baby brother Isaac. Isaac is with Jesus now but we can still think of him whenever we enjoy this garden.

Three garden beds with lettuces, peas, beans, onions, potatoes, broccoli and corn.

Here's the corn a few weeks ago. Now it's up to Mommy's neck!

Peas (front), beans (back)

A cross for Isaac and lots of gladiolas we're waiting to see bloom..

Daddy's powercat, or as I like to call it "diddy" in Isaac's garden.

Here I am giving a bear hug to the "diddy" (a.k.a. Uncle Willie)

Another shot of me in my pink dress from Grandma.

Lady in Red

2009-06-28T07:23:00.005-05:00

Okay, so I'm not a lady yet, but...can I be a ladybug? My Grandma Perry gave me this awesome outfit that I got to wear when I went to visit her and Grandpa in San Diego. I took a break from playing in their backyard just long enough for Grandma to snap this pic!

Picture of the Day

2009-06-24T21:45:00.002-05:00

Just had to share this shot of Carla from last week at Vacation Bible School at Omaha Bible Church. Isn't God wonderful to create such a beautiful little girl! :)

Pictures of the Newest Schmoll

2009-06-15T12:34:00.003-05:00

Mommy and Daddy keep telling me that there's a baby in Mommy's tummy and this weekend I got to see some pictures of my new sibling. They say it's a baby but I gotta be honest, it's kind of hard to tell from these pictures though! :) If you want to know whether I am having a brother or sister, you'll have to email Mom or Dad because one of my Grandpas wants to wait and be surprised!

Profile Shot

Left arm; you can just barely make out all the fingers and thumb.

3D image of hands.

There's the Schmoll nose! When Mommy and Daddy saw this picture, they said it looks like my Uncle Joseph.

Another 3D shot of the face. The cord is in front and makes the picture pretty blurry.

More San Diego Pics

2009-06-12T20:59:00.004-05:00

In no particular order, here are pictures of our blue, blue house (yes, next time we will paint a swatch first instead of the entire house). It really stands out because all the other houses in our neighborhood are five shades of beige. Also, there are some more shots from San Diego. One of my favorites is the school of 150 dolphin that we saw on our way to where we scattered Isaac's ashes.

Nicole and her college mascot, the mighty Triton, King of the Sea.

A Trip to San Diego

2009-06-04T15:58:00.005-05:00

My profuse apologies for letting so many weeks go by without new Carla pictures. We have been very busy but having lots of fun visiting family. Carla got to see her Grandma and Grandpa Perry in San Diego over Memorial Day weekend and got a visit from her Uncle Joseph last week. She hadn't seen grandma and grandpa since she was five weeks old so it was a fun trip for everyone. Enjoy!

Mommy and me in front of some boats on Shelter Island.

I thought it would be a good idea to climb inbetween the rescue surfboards because naturally, who do you expect to pull you out of a rip tide but a two year old?

Ahh...fresh ocean air, surfers riding the waves, seagulls and a wet bottom. What else could you ask for from a day at the beach?

I love my grandpa!

And my grandma!

Granpa gave me lots of cool rocks to play with.

I got to see my aunt Aly and her new baby girl, Kendall.

I had a fun time on the boat that we took out to scatter my brother Isaac's ashes. We went to a really special spot where Mommy used to read her Bible, pray and think a lot about how big and good God is. Those cliffs in the background are where she used to sit. I fell asleep for most of the time but I was awake when we said goodbye to Isaac.

Before we got on the boat I got to go for a walk with Grandpa.

Our first night in San Diego we got to eat at Mommy and Daddy's favorite restaraunt, Su Casa, and eat fresh guacamole, prepared right at our table.

This was my first ever in-person view of the ocean. Isn't it pretty!

Just the girls! Here I am with my grandma, Mommy and great aunt Maureen.

I liked looking at the ocean. Here I am just trying to make sense of what I'm seeing.

This is just a shot of what I do most mornings. I like to sit in a comfy chair with a good book and a cup of cool milk.

Easter Dresses

2009-04-21T17:36:00.004-05:00

With three sets of grandparents and lots of admirers :) Carla gets a lot of pretty dresses, especially at holidays. Here are some of her new outfits!

Wearing a dress from my aunt Maureen.

Cute as a lady bug.

In a cute yellow dress from Grandma Penfold.

Wearing my Easter dress from Grandma Perry.

I'm Going to be a Big Sister!

2009-04-06T12:22:00.002-05:00

Mommy and Daddy tell me that I get to be a big sister again! I won't get to meet my new brother or sister until the end of October but I can't wait. Here's the picture they showed me today. It doesn't look like a baby to me yet but I know it is one!

Like a Cat in a Basket

2009-04-03T19:38:00.003-05:00

The other day Carla pulled this little wicker basket that our real estate agent gave us when we bought our home out from underneath an end table. She proceeded to drag it into the kitchen where, a few moments later, I was distracted by grunting noises. I got up, walked into the kitchen and quickly grabbed my camera. What I saw and posted below reminds me of what our cat does whenever I leave Carla's laundry basket in the washroom. I think she learned this trick by watching him. Too bad for Carla that unlike Willie, she does not have the world's most flexible spine!

Daubbie!

2009-03-31T08:01:00.003-05:00

That's my latest, favorite word. It's my attempt at "Doggie". I love daubies. They are the best. Every morning I run to my favorite window and I call for them to come outside so that I can look at them. Mommy caught me on camera day performing my morning ritual. Some grown-ups like a cup of coffee and their newspaper; I like a cool cup of milk and my daubies.

A Trip to the Museum

2009-03-31T07:16:00.007-05:00

When my grandpa was here I got to see some cool stuff at a place called a museum. I saw trains and houses and animals and even got to learn about how chocolate is made and its history. But, my favorite was running around the entryway to the museum which used to be a big train station.

Before we left, I had to make sure everything was put away...in the dishwasher.

This used to be the main train station for Omaha. 10,000 people came through a day but the only ones I wanted to see were the little people.

Sitting in the sun in my Montana State shirt. Go Bobcats!

Running is more fun than sitting.

Especially when I'm running to my Daddy!

After the Museum we went to the park where I got to swing and go down the slide!

Finally, after a big day full of fun, we ate pizza for dinner.

I was so hungry I wasn't even watching how much I was eating.

Then it caught up with me. I'm stuffed and ready for bed.

A Trip to the Zoo

2009-03-31T06:53:00.007-05:00

Okay, so be mad at my parents, not me for it being almost a month since my last update. I mean, I'm still only 18 months old and I'm smart but it's not like I know how to type yet:) Here's some pictures of my trip to the Omaha Zoo with Mommy and Grandpa. My favorites were the fishies and the Tiger!

What I'm looking at:

Getting pushed around all day is great.

Looking at butterflies with Grandpa!

I think there's more butterflies on my hat then there are in this enclosure.

'Hey Mom, is Willie gonna get this big?'

Coffee with Grammy

2009-03-04T16:19:00.003-06:00

Grammy thought it would be a good idea one morning during her visit to offer me something wonderfully tasty called coffee. Now I see why Mommy drinks it so much! It tasted so sweet, that I wanted more. Of course, that could have had something to do with the six Equal packets (or "blues" as my Grammy calls them) that my Grammy put into her 6 ounce cup of coffee.

Slipping Through My Fingers

2009-03-04T15:53:00.012-06:00

Okay Carla fans, here's your fix. Sorry it took so long to get a new post up. Last week Carla got a visit from Grammy. They had lots of fun together, as you'll see below, trying on hats, sipping "coffee" (see Post titled "Coffee with Grammy"), eating, dancing and watching Mama Mia. Any Abba fan who also has children can relate to the title of this post. Children (and grandchildren) just grow up too fast!

Carla just opened the bottom drawer of the oven one day and sat down; as if she thought to herself 'this looks like a good place to sit.' Of course, I had to tell her 'no' right after I snapped the picture.

Enjoying some raisins.

A pretty pink hat that Grammy bought Carla.

Watching, no wait, singing along to Mama Mia the morning Grammy left.

Carla smiles after tasting Grammy's 'coffee' (it's more equal and milk than actual coffee)

Wille's World

2009-02-06T06:41:00.005-06:00

This is Carla's mom writing. If I could create another blog, I would name it Willie's World. Like Carla's corner, it would chronicle his daily adventures in survival. Poor Willie. He has an admirer who's three times his weight and loves nothing more than to give him pancake hugs. He must feel like the water in a pool does when a swimmer hits it with a belly flop. But, I don't have the mental wherewith all to manage a third blog so, Willie's World will be a reoccurring thread within Carla's Corner as long as the good Lord leaves him here with us. I've tried to capture a bit of what a day in Willie's life is like now that Carla is a part of our family. To see more about that check out yesterday's post 'The Cat and I.'

Carla giving Willie a 'pancake hug.' I think part of the appeal is his squishiness. I think the 'glowing eyes' tell you how Willie feels about this maneuver.

In this video you can see where Willie spends most of his time - under the table. There are two reasons for that. First, the sun hits the carpet under the table with warm, bright beams all morning long. Second, Carla can't get at him quite as easily. Willie has grown a bit protective of his under the table space and attempts to ward off Carla. Unfortunately for Willie, she is not frightened by him in the least.

Wild Child

2009-02-06T06:21:00.004-06:00

I begged Mommy to let me sport a mohawk and she did!

The Cat and I

2009-02-05T19:48:00.005-06:00

So, "Uncle" Willie and I have a love-hate relationship. I love him, he hates me. Unless I'm eating and then he sidles up beneath my high-chair for what Mommy calls the "dropsies buffet." I don't know what that means but I do know that I love Willie. I love giving him 'pancake hugs' and laughing at him and, as you can see in these videos, I think he likes playing with me a little bit too.

I like to play on the stairs with Willie. I try to get him to come up to the bars by throwing my toys down at him. Also, sometimes Mommy brings home these cool plastic things. The sun sparkles when it hits them and I can bend them all over and they don't break! The best thing is that Uncle Willie likes them as much as me! He even knows how to grab them from me. He's the best.

Carla, the Explorer

2009-01-24T20:21:00.003-06:00

I sometimes wonder what parents entertained their children with before the mass production of plastics. After watching Carla 'discover' her bellybutton recently, I realized that children in bygone eras were no less entertained than ours are today. I have turned a corner more than once and found her simply fascinated with this wondrous invention of God - her bellybutton.

Showers are more fun without water.

2009-01-24T14:29:00.003-06:00

Carla proves in this post that her love for opening and shutting doors knows no bounds. Also, that showers can be more fun without water than with them. In the first video, watch as she learns the fun ways you can make your face change when you press it against glass and in the second, listen along to her myriad of babbles as she opens and shuts the shower door. Hope you enjoy them as much as we enjoy her discovering new things each day.

Happy New Year!

2009-01-11T11:45:00.005-06:00

Okay, so it's a little late, but I've been sick so cut a 15-month old a break. I've been busy lately, learning how to wave and say 'all done.' I am still working on "Daddy" which right now sounds more like "Ndan-deee." Mom let me wear some more pretty dresses and we even shared a tickle fight together! Mom is starting to bug Dad for a new camera so that she can catch my lightning-quick movements better. I say, 'the best things in life are worth working for.' :)

And they say they aren't getting me a cell phone until I can drive...yeah right!

Blowing kisses with Mommy.

Tickle fight!

Carla does the Wave

2008-12-28T14:39:00.006-06:00

Okay, Carla is not crowd surfing at KState games but she is learning how to say hello. We caught one of her first attempts the other night, so for the grandparents especially, we hope you enjoy this one.

The 25 Dresses of Christmas

2008-12-28T13:53:00.005-06:00

That's what it feels like anyways. Carla has received so many wonderful outfits to wear and we're doing our best to get her in them before January comes. Here are some of our favorite shots of the girl who puts the sparkle into our lives every day!

Daddy makes me most happy!

Into the sun.

All those presents and I'd rather have the bow.

Opening presents

A new hat.

Thanks grandma and grandpa! (all of you)

A Christmas Blessing

2008-12-24T13:49:00.006-06:00

Here she is - our little Christmas angel. Carla has been, is and will always be such a blessing to us. And, as we prepare to celebrate Christmas, she gives us reason to pause and contemplate why the One who gave birth to the foundations of the world by the word of His power would be born without the ability to speak.

Lately, Carla has been doing something incredibly cute and obviously desperate as we lay her down to sleep each night. The routine goes something like this - we lay her down and put our hand on her chest and softly whisper 'Good night, sweetheart. We love you.' Quick as lightning, Carla grabs our hands and clutches them tightly to her chest, refusing to let go. She doesn't want us to leave her room but we know that if we don't neither she, nor we, will get any sleep.

Her desperate action makes us think about how we ought to cling to Jesus Christ. Without question, the greatest comfort to us as we mourn the loss of our son Isaac is the great truth that Jesus Christ will never leave us nor forsake us (Hebrews 13:5). Though we may lose everything in this life, as believers clinging tightly to Him, we will never loose Him. For though even our hold should fail, He will never let us go.

What a great comfort it is to know we can never be without Him who is our souls' sufficiency and greatest delight. It truly is amazing to ponder the awesome truth that God clothed Himself in humanity so that He might ransom sinners for Himself. Psalm 2:12 says "Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in him."

It's easy for our prideful hearts to kiss the sweet baby Jesus in a lowly manger. But, it's harder to bend our knees to the Kingly, Sovereign reigning Son because it requires us to admit to Him our desperate state. Let's take a cue from Carla this Christmas. As we admire our nativity sets; as we gaze upon the Babe in the manger; as we hear the cattle lowing at His lowly birth, let's remember that He was born in such a humble, vulnerable manner so that He could rescue us. Hebrews 2:14 tells us that our condition is so desperate that unless Jesus was born and lived and died and rose again for us, we could never escape our slavery to sin.

"Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery."

This lowly Babe was no ordinary human. Jesus Christ destroyed the power of death by, living the perfect life we never could and dying the perfect death we all deserve. By His obedience, we sinners can be declared righteous and by His death, we can be forgiven. Praise God that He has condescended to help our lowly estate!

There is therefore, no One more worthy of our souls' trust than Jesus. Our hearts' desire and fervent prayer for Carla is that she will cling to Christ by faith and live a life that's pleasing to Him; that Jesus would graciously give her a new heart that loves Him and values Him above all treasures. Yes, take a cue from Carla this Christmas and cling to Him.

More pictures of our little blessing...

My Favorite New Face

2008-12-21T15:21:00.002-06:00

Here I am making my favorite new face, "o."

Long Time, No Post!

2008-12-21T14:54:00.009-06:00

Ahhh, tis the season for sharing so here, after a long hiatus, are some new pictures and posts of Carla Marie. She is doing so many cute, new things every day and we are doing our best just to keep up. We are ever more grateful for her sweet spirit and precious smile.

Snow!

Daddy's favorite Christmas present.

Please, mom can we go outside!?!?!

Pretty blue eyes.

Making my favorite new face, "o."

Have you seen "A Christmas Story?" Here I am mimicking Ralphie's little brother and getting Ralphie's soap ready! :)

In my new purple hoodie.

With the woman who delivered me and my brother Isaac. Her name is Heather and she is an awesome midwife!

I still love my pacifier.

Here's looking at you, kid.

The True Meaning of Choice

2008-11-15T08:58:00.009-06:00

This post is a deviation from the normal posts you are accustomed to seeing on Carla's Corner. This is her mom and in light of the reality of her brother Isaac now being in heaven, I have some thoughts to share. They are lengthy but there is a reward for those who read it through - there are some precious pictures of Isaac that a dear friend of ours took following my words.

What does it really mean to be pro-choice? In the western world it has come to mean respecting a woman's right to choose what she wants to do with 'her body.' Which is a way of abstracting the real choice at hand - what to do with the life of the new little body within that pregnant woman. When we learned at my 20 week ultrasound that our little son had a genetic disorder called Trisomy 18, we were told it was fatal. When we asked about statistics on his chances for any kind of prolonged survival we were told that the data wasn't very good because the majority of women who receive this diagnosis choose to terminate their pregnancies. On one site I saw this choice referred to as 'saying goodbye early.'

In some ways, it was a tempting option to consider; it was painful to wait for nearly three months with the knowledge that if my son lived to birth, he would likely die hours afterwards. But, I am so thankful that I left the choice of life and death in the hands of the One person to whom it belongs - Jesus Christ.

Isaac has already taught John & I so much about our Savior, the brevity of life and the consequences of sin. I have no doubt that those lessons will continue in the weeks, months and years to come. I realize, for example, that I am now pro-choice in the truest sense of the term. I didn't used to be. The Bible is clear that all men are born sinners - "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me." - Psalm 51:5. If left to grow to maturity, the only thing we will ever choose is to rebel against God and not do what He has asked us to in His Word: "There is none righteous, not even one;...All have turned aside, together they have become useless; there is none who does good, there is not even one." - Romans 3:10, 12.

We are not born with the power to choose good. Even with the best environment and upbringing, we do not develop that ability as we grow older. We just grow more adept at choosing sin. That was me. However, about 15 years ago, Jesus Christ opened my eyes to the truth that there is One God who created everything, including me, and that I had sinned against Him. For this, I deserve death and hell but He sent His perfect Son, Jesus, to die in my place so that I could be forgiven and freed. Freed from the awful chains of sin.

Now that I am in Christ, I have the freedom and power to choose life. To choose righteousness, to choose to believe truth. "do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead and your members as instruments of righteousness to God." Romans 6:13.

And so, today John and I praise God that we can choose to believe the things which He tells us are true of our son Isaac. He is in heaven. Not because he wasn't a sinner, but because God graciously chose to save him. If Isaac was not a sinner, he would not have died for Romans 6:23 tells us that 'the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life.' Unlike the rest of us old enough to read and understand this post, Isaac has no deeds on the basis of which to be judged. We do. He is 'innocent' in that sense. But, he still needed a lamb, a substitute, someone to pay for his sin nature. And, that lamb is Jesus Christ. Although we only shared a short time here on earth, we will share our glorious, beautiful, good Savior forever.

Finally, lest you think that we don't love our son because we agree with God's word that he, like all of us, was a sinner, I will leave you with this excerpt from a letter I wrote to our dear Isaac recently:

"Isaac, I will never forget you. I will always love you. There will always be a place for you engraved upon my heart. While my memories of what you felt like - the softness of your black hair, the warm smooth skin on your face, your tiny fingers wrapped around mine - will fade over time, my love for you will not. You have made heaven all the sweeter and my treasure there immeasurably greater. Son, I doubt a day will go by when I don't think of you and smile. Until I too become absent from my body and present with our Lord, I will know that my toil over losing you is not in vain and I will look forward expectantly to seeing and embracing you again and spending eternity with you."

I love you,
Mom

Isaac's Birthday

2008-11-12T22:58:00.003-06:00

A few days ago, on November 10, 2008, my little brother Isaac Joseph was born. He weighed 2 pounds and was 12 inches long. Mom says he came early - at about 31 weeks along. He lived for 4 minutes. That's not a long time but my parents say it was a really special 4 minutes. He is a beautiful, special little brother and Mom and Dad say that now he is in heaven with Jesus. They tell me that he has a big head just like me and a full head of dark, black hair. Even though he was so little, he still had toenails, fingernails, and strong arms and legs, a perfect little nose, eyes and face. He is a precious gift from God and even though they miss him a lot, they keep telling me that they will see him again someday. I've been getting a lot of kisses and hugs and squeezes since Monday and that's been fun. It's nice to see that my Mom and Dad love us so much. They're crying a lot but I try to make them feel better with my smiles and my "frakenstein" walking around the house. Here are some pictures of Isaac.

My Little Brother

2008-11-02T14:48:00.004-06:00

Here is a picture of my little brother, Isaac, that Mom and Dad brought home from an ultrasound awhile ago. He is very sick with a serious genetic disorder and Mom tells me he that I probably won't get to meet him until I get to heaven. He is teaching our family a lot about the sovereign love of Jesus and the goodness of God. I am glad that God made Isaac. He is a precious gift, just like me!

Pumpkin Party!

2008-10-19T12:58:00.004-05:00

Mom and Dad took me to a pumpkin patch last weekend. I had a lot of fun playing in the pumpkins, looking at bunnies and almost getting kissed by a camel!

Look Mom, bunnies!

(Here's what Carla was pointing to)

What's that?!?!?!

Smiling with the camel ... where'd his head go?

I got to carry home the kettle corn.

What I like to do on Sunday afternoons while Daddy reads the paper.

Birthday Shots

2008-09-27T17:42:00.007-05:00

This post has a lot of pictures in it so make sure you scroll down to see them all. I also convinced Mommy and Daddy to put up three videos of me after all these pictures. Enjoy!

I'm 1!

Opening presents.

Birthday hug from Willie.

Before.

After.

Cake is goood.

Say Cheese!

Presents!

Kisses from Kito.

Sunny day.

Pretty smile.

My cake.

I like football.

Blue eyes.

It's a Carla-in-the-box.

Family picture.

I love uncle Willie.

Waking up.

Uncle Tim's shoe.

Cubs hat.

My future's so bright, I gotta wear shades.

Happy Birthday Carla!

2008-09-24T16:16:00.004-05:00

All my family gathered to sing me Happy Birthday when I turned one a few days ago!

My First Piece of Cake

2008-09-24T15:48:00.004-05:00

Here I am enjoying my first piece of birthday cake on my birthday, September 22!

My First Birthday Present

2008-09-24T15:13:00.004-05:00

My first birthday was last Monday, September 22. A lot of my family gathered together to watch me try to figure out how to unwrap presents and eat my first piece of birthday cake.

Giggles

2008-09-11T17:50:00.003-05:00

For some reason, I laugh the most right before I go to bed. Mommy says its cause I'm delusional from weariness, whatever that means, but I say it's because Daddy's face tickles.

New Pictures

2008-09-11T17:38:00.004-05:00

Well, I am almost a year old and have been told that you all want to see new pictures of me, so here you go.

Me and Mommy sporting our KState.

I like smiling for the camera.

Learning how to splash on our family vacation in Minneapolis.

Mommy, Daddy, Isaac and I took a tour of the Wabasha Street Caves in St. Paul, Minnesota where they used to grow mushrooms and hold dinners for famous gangsters during the Depression. There was someone named John Dilinger and even someone named Babyface Nelson that used to eat there. I am not sure what their problem with Snoopy was but they sure hurt him bad!

Mommy and Daddy and Isaac and I watched KState throttle Montana State at a local sports bar. Sorry uncles :)

My first bath in the 'big girl tub'

Enjoying my first taste of blueberry pancakes

Babbles and Squeals

2008-08-24T19:07:00.003-05:00

Daddy says that I sound like a pterodactyl (whatever that is) lately. You watch and decide for yourself.

I Love Uncle Willie!

2008-08-05T20:33:00.004-05:00

Here's a video that shows how much I love our cat. I only wish he felt the same way...

Almost There

2008-08-04T21:42:00.003-05:00

That's what you are when you're in between birthdays, as I am. Over ten months and not quite 11 yet. Enjoy my latest adventures.

I love this dress! Thank you grandma!

I love my daddy.

Before...

And after! I drive Mommy crazy with this.

Ten Month Triumphs

2008-07-17T19:08:00.006-05:00

Well, I am ten months old. I keep telling Mommy that she needs to update my blog more often, (since I don't know how to type yet I have to rely on her to post for me) so that you can keep up on my developments. I am now crawling all over the place and am getting a little closer to catching the cat. I can eat bananas, bread and crackers all on my own. I can even pinch Mommy and Daddy with my fingers. I am standing all the time and have strung a few steps together as long as somone is holding my arms. Here's some pictures of what I've been up to the last few weeks.

I told Mommy to start with the video of me eating a cracker. I'm getting pretty good, don't you think?

Here I am in a patriotic dress for the Fourth of July. Don't I look cute? =)

Standing, which I do a lot of, and caged in which I don't like.

Do you like my hat?

Mommy's getting more out of the Budgee Encounter at the zoo than I am.

I told Mommy not to put this one in cause I'm not in it but she thought you might like to see a picture about some good swimmer named Michael Phelps. Mommy got to see him swim with her friend at the US Olympic Swim Trials when they were here in Omaha a few weeks ago.

A Visit From My Family

2008-06-29T14:21:00.006-05:00

My Grandma Lynne and Grandpa Dick came to visit me from Florida and my Uncle Timothy came from Montana to see me and celebrate my nine month birthday! Here are some of my favorite memories from our time together.

The BEST French Silk Pie in the World (which I was told that I was too young to eat!)

Checking out my new book.

Climbing the walls, which I do a lot of these days.

Reading the POST (Praising Our Savior Together). There is a really good article in this issue about the substitutionary atonement of Christ, which I have learned from my parents should always make you smile!

Eating Cream of Wheat. Yum.

Holding onto Grandpa Dick's finger.

Hanging out with my Uncle Tim in his cool green Cubs hat.

It was so fun, I told mom to put two pictures of us on here!

My Uncle likes baseball hats a lot so here I am in a cool Red Sox hat that Pastor Erik would appreciate. Even though my uncle wants to have his ashes spread at Wrigley Field, he wears hats from a lot of teams and I liked this one since my mom said it's cool because it has a shamrock on it. My Daddy however, says we're all crazy; he says purple is the only color worth wearing and only if it also has a PowerCat on it!

Swimming in My Pool

2008-06-08T19:05:00.002-05:00

Here's a live shot of me exploring my new pool!

My Pool

2008-06-08T18:54:00.003-05:00

Mommy and Daddy bought me a pool last week and despite the bad weather, we tried it out.

Exploring

Crawling

Tasty duck

I started feeding myself last week. Yay! now Mommy can do more things =)