The Steele Family Blog

Carter and Jack at the Beach

2010-06-11T21:00:00.000-05:00

At the beach

2010-05-29T14:46:00.000-05:00

Jack is One

2010-05-18T20:38:00.002-05:00

Videos from recent NY trip

2010-03-19T20:20:00.000-05:00

A kitchen for Christmas

2010-01-10T06:47:00.000-06:00

Our new kitchen is finally "complete". There are a few minor details to finish and a few possible near term upgrades like under cabinet lighting, but we are using it. We cooked our first meal together in the kitchen last night and what a difference. We were able to move around each other and neither of us banged out shins on the open dishwasher. The oven didn't heat up the entire house and the microwave was able to warm a plate in under 20 minutes. Although the entire project took only three weeks, it felt longer especially since we did not have the kitchen available over the holidays. We are thrilled to finally stop having to eat takeout every night. You can see all the pictures from this project by clicking this link.

Jack

2010-01-05T21:40:00.000-06:00

Just because Jack needed a few more pictures on here.

Christmas 2009

2010-01-03T21:03:00.000-06:00

This year was the first year since we've in our whole lives that we voluntarily chose not to travel during the holiday season. In addition to the cost and the kitchen remodel, we decided it was important to start our own holiday traditions at home. The location of our home is always subject to change, so at least our Christmas can be the same.
We started the season with the purchase of a tree from the Red Cross. They were giving away free trees to Iraq veterans, but we chose to pay for what ended up being a very nice tree. While in Alabama, we always went to a tree farm, so it was a little disappointing not to be able to do that again this year.

Regardless of where we got the tree, Carter had a blast decorating it. We did it over the course of a couple nights so he could participate as much as possible. He really understood the concept and it was clear that decorations were his favorite part of the holiday.

Christmas morning was a lot of fun. Both boy slept in until at least 0700 so that made it even better. Carter was so excited to see all the presents, but he was more interested in making piles than opening them. Once he realised there were some toys inside, he was more than happy to rip through the paper. He was even nice enough to help jack open all of his. We used the Skype video chat so each family could see us open the presents we had received from them.

While the stress of a major kitchen remodel took away some of the enjoyment, our first Christmas by ourselves was a lot of fun. All the pictures are available by clicking this link.

Gobble, Gobble 2009

2009-11-29T19:53:00.002-06:00

This year for Thanksgiving we went again to Cullman, AL to see our friends Wes and Chrysi. Wes's sister and brother-in-law live there and were gracious to welcome us to their home for the second year in a row. It is five start accommodations for sure and we would probably pay money to vacation there. It was a full house with 6 adults and 6 kids who ranged in age from 4 to 6 months.
Cullman was where we celebrated Carter's first Thanksgiving so it was only fitting that we where able to celebrate Jack's there as well. It was also another first in the turkey department. Last year was deep fried and this year was smoked; it was very good. We stayed through until Saturday and really enjoyed our time with our friends. You can see all the pictures here.

Jack (o-latern's) First Halloween

2009-11-12T20:11:00.003-06:00

Halloween decorations in Lowe's and around our neighborhood provided Carter with endless amusement this year. He got so excited to see anything with a pumpkin face, ghost or witch; but forget about those scary scarecrows they were just too much for this guy. So having multiple Halloween apparel at our house made getting dressed this month fantastically exciting for Carter. And let's be honest, he has continued to wear his long-sleeved Halloween shirt from Gee well into November because the joy it brings him is way more important than a possible fashion faux pas.

As for Jack, he is just happy watching the chaos unfold around him. Despite Jack's serious demeanor in photos, he is constantly giggling at anything Carter does (great, more reinforcement for those quirky toddler behaviors that we mommies like to nip in the bud). The boys now "play" together and it is one of those precious mommy moments that I have been dreaming about since I got pregnant with Jack. It is in those blissful few minutes when neither child is aware that I am silently watching from around the corner that brings parenthood to a whole new level. So we tried to catch the "bliss" below with photos of the boys just being themselves.

Carter was Elmo and Jack was a chili pepper (in case the costumes left little to the imagination). The kids stayed in their costumes long enough to snap a few photos and walk to our neighbor's house. They did not go trick-or-treating simply because they are too young to understand the concept. The big kids carved the pumpkins and handed out candy from the front porch while drinking some beers. All in all, Halloween was low-key and purely fun. There's nothing like watching all the magic through your child's eyes.

Pumpkins for the Pumpkins

2009-10-26T20:25:00.000-05:00

We took Carter & Jack to the pumpkin patch that one of the local churches was putting on. While not the same pumpkin patches we grew up with, it still exceeded our expectations.

It was Carters first big outing with no stroller.

He was interested in everything right from the start.

This was taken on the little hayride that they had. Of course neither boy would look at the camera with so much going on.

Lots of pumpkins, what a fun day.

Jack

2009-09-08T20:16:00.000-05:00

A Whirlwind Tour

2009-08-18T20:44:00.006-05:00

3 destinations, 5 states, thousands of miles made our latest trip quite the undertaking, especially with two children under two. We left FWB on 6 Aug and flew to Rochester via Atlanta. It was Jack's first flight and he did very well. Carter is a seasoned air traveler by now, but he isn't crazy about the whole "stay in your seat" concept. Overall, he did very well.

We stayed with Emily's family and on Saturday, Cooper's family started to arrive for Jack's baptism on Sunday. He did very well through the whole thing. All of Emily's college roommates were able to attend which made it especially nice for Emily.

On Monday we drove to VT to see Grandmother in Shelburne and stayed at Mary and Ernie's. The accommodations were 5 star as always. Grandmother was glad to meet Jack and Carter did very well in the Wake Robin dining room. The visit was much too short overall and we headed back to Fairport on Wednesday.

The final main event of this trip was Jason Molino's wedding. It was a wonderful weekend filled with Norwich friends and good times. Anna and Jason had a beautiful wedding and we are looking forward to seeing them again sometime soon.

Overall, it was a busy, but a great trip. You can see all NY and VT photos by clicking here. Photo's from Jason and Anna's wedding are available on Facebook.

What We Saw On Our Sunday Drive

2009-08-02T16:09:00.003-05:00

Who would have thought that this little gem was practically in our backyard. If only we'd know, we would've lived here for sure.

The Family That Eats Together

2009-07-23T19:28:00.003-05:00

After finally getting over our shock and disgust at the thought of eating at 5:00pm, we have started to eat dinner together as a family every week-night. We decided there would never be the "perfect time" to start this process, so why not now. So far it has been going great. Carter is eating even better than before because he has fewer distractions during meal time. Emily isn't having to make as many kids meals since Carter can usually just have what we're having. We are feeling like our evenings are much more free since when Carter goes down at 6:00, we are already done with dinner and can just focus on Jack. Cooper's work schedule won't always allow us to do this, but for now, we are loving it.

Lights, Camera, ...

2009-07-11T20:26:00.001-05:00

My very talented sister Cate put this video together from their trip here. Enjoy.

Full House

2009-07-09T20:32:00.003-05:00

We were so happy to have the Hartzell family come and visit us over the 4th of July holiday. Carter was especially glad to see his cousins and had a blast trying to keep up with Jamie and Will. Some of the highlights from the visit included a trip to the Big Kahuna's water park, the free splash park on Eglin AFB, and a trip to the beach. Chris had to leave on Sunday, but Cate and the boys stayed until Wed. Cate was even nice enough to take care of the boys so we could go on a little date to a new restaurant. Overall it was a great visit. You can see all the pictures by clicking on this link.

The Double Wink

2009-07-09T20:28:00.000-05:00

Big Brother is Watching

2009-05-31T13:36:00.000-05:00

Many people have asked us how Carter is adjusting to his new role as big brother to Jack. The answer is: great! He has been so sweet that we have actually been a little surprised. He acts very worried whenever he hears Jack crying. If Jack is in his swing and he's crying, Carter comes rushing over and tries to put the pacifier in Jack's mouth. He also pats his feet and says "aww, aww" whenever he walks by him. The boys recently received stuffed animals from Aunt Mary and Uncle Ernie. Carter didn't understand that one was for him and kept trying to pile them both with Jack. So far, Carter has adjusted to his new role and the changes in our house very well. You can see all the photos of them together by clicking here.

Welcome Jack

2009-05-15T22:28:00.001-05:00

John Wesley Steele (aka Jack) was born on 13 May at 1500 in the hospital on Eglin AFB, FL. He was delivered by unplanned cesarean section and weighed in at 6 lbs 11 ozs and is 19 inches long. We are so exited that Jack has made his appearance and are happy to have him as a member of our family. So far Carter is adjusting well to his new role as big brother and has been very gentle (and a little apprehensive) towards his brother. Everyone is home now and doing well. You can see all the pictures from Jack's arrival by clicking this link to our web album.

Sing in the shower

2009-05-02T21:05:00.002-05:00

It has been a long time since we've posted anything to the blog, so to make up for it here is long video. Carter is turning out to be a very chatty kid, but he is especially chatty in the tub.

Colander Head

2009-02-07T08:49:00.001-06:00

The picture says it all.

Caught on Camera..

2009-01-03T16:58:00.003-06:00

Here are two more video's from Carter's first Christmas. The first is of Carter opening a present in Fairport from his Uncle Tim. The second video was taken in Princeton and shows Jamie and Will on Christmas morning.

Carter's First Christmas

2009-01-03T07:34:00.002-06:00

Carter's first Christmas was a big success! After a somewhat harrowing trip to Burlington, Carter was able to see real snow for the first time in his life. We did a little shopping in Burlington, but our Alabama blood did not do well in the Vermont cold.

Carter was thrilled to be able to see Great-Mother on this trip. She invited us to dine with her in the Wake Robin dining room where Cater was once again the star of the show. He did very well through the meal and was delighted to see that many of the items on the menu were just right for him.

We're sure that one highlight for the trip for Carter was getting to see his cousins. Will was a little under the weather, but Jamie was more than happy to show Carter how to play with trains and do other big-boy stuff. It was a lot of fun to watch the three of them together.

We celebrated Christmas with the whole family in Princeton and were glad that Caroline's friend Geoff was able to join us this year. There was snow on the ground so we'll count it as a white Christmas. Carter was a little overwhelmed by the activity, but he enjoyed watching his cousins open their presents.

From Princeton we headed to Fairport for Christmas part two as well as Carter's first birthday. Unfortunately, Bob and Inez were sick and Carter was not able to celebrate his birthday with them. Uncle Tim, Aunt Hannah, Grammie and Grandpa all did their best to spoil Carter and he had a great time in spite of a nasty ear infection. Next year will be even better.

You can see all the pictures here: http://picasaweb.google.com/cooperandemily/Christmas2008?authkey=EDsrjWQWQhg&feat=directlink

Be vewy, vewy quite, I'm hunting Chwistmas twees

2008-12-07T10:50:00.000-06:00

Carter went on his first ever Christmas tree hunt this weekend and it was a great success. The weather even cooperated and it was cold enough to wear sweaters! We went next door to gather the Carter's friend Nathan and the rest of the Jernigans. We all carvaned out to the Alabama wilderness to the Wadsworth Christmas Tree Farm. It is a bit of a hike, but not surprisingly the only Christmas tree farm around down here in the land of the fake trees. We once again settled on a beautiful Leland Cyprus which makes a beautiful Christmas tree and smells wonderful. Carter was pretty impressed with our tree selection and was so worn out he slept the whole way home (which he almost never does). It was a great day.

An Alabama Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T10:29:00.001-06:00

It may be a little late, but we have to recap our excellent Thanksgiving here in Alabama. Our friends Wes and Chrysi invited us to meet them in Cullman AL at Wes's sister and brother-in-law's house. We went up on Thanksgiving morning and Cooper quickly found out he was woefully overdressed for deep frying turkeys and skeet shooting. (See a video of Wes shooting here) It was a fun time. Later in the day, Carter had his first taste of turkey and really seemed to enjoy it. It was also out first opportunity to meet Wes and Chrysi's new daughter ( and Carter's future girlfriend) Madelyn. She is such a cutie! Carter wasn't nearly as interested in eating as he was with keeping up with the "big boys". He had no fear of getting right into the mix and occasionally reduced the older boys to tears for being in their "section". As they did in NJ, Wes and Chrysi's family took us in and made us feel so comfortable. Hopefully someday we can repay all their kindness.

Carter's Gone Batty

2008-11-02T10:07:00.000-06:00

Carter's first Halloween was a great success. We found him a bat costume from Old Navy and he looked very cute. We think he was actually a little hot in the costume, but once we got outside, he didn't seem to mind the heavy fleece. We didn't take him trick or treating (as a lot of people around here do with their babies) but he did sit with us outside while we handed out candy. We combined forced with our neighbors who brought their son over and we all handed out candy in front of our house. We probably had close to 200 or so kids (and teenagers) come by. Everyone seemed to think the two babies were very cute in their costumes. We agree.

Cater and Emily's Trip to Fairport

2008-10-27T18:46:00.001-05:00

Off to Fairport

2008-10-26T21:32:00.002-05:00

Carter and Emily made a trip to Fairport during the weekend of Columbus day to the following Sunday. It was Carter's second airplane ride and he did great. Cooper was not able to go due to work issues. It was also Emily's first time traveling alone with Carter and it was a success.
In Fariport, they got to visit with Grammie and Grandpa and Uncle Tim and Aunt Hannah, see Bob and Inez, Linda, Maggie, Gregg and Abby. It was a whirlwind tour and as always seemed like it was over before it began. We are all looking forward to Christmas when we can travel together.
You can see all the photos by clicking here.

FedEx to Fairport

2008-10-05T15:04:00.000-05:00

We are only joking, but every once and a while the thought is tempting. We came particularly close the other night...

Grandma and Grandaddy Visit

2008-10-05T15:01:00.001-05:00

Grandma and Grandaddy came to visit two weekends ago and it was a lot of fun. In addition to getting to see family, we took advantage of one of the few cultural opportunities Montgomery has to offer. We all went to the Rosa Parks museum to learn about a true American hero. The exhibits were very well done and we all learned a lot. On Saturday night we tried one of the newest restaurants in Montgomery and were pleasantly surprised by the service and the quality of the food. Overall it was another great visit with our families.

We love our Quinny

2008-09-07T14:30:00.000-05:00

This is the type of thing that we promised ourselves we would never get so excited about, but we just can't help it. The time has finally come for Carter to stop travelling around in the infant carrier. He has just gotten too big (and heavy!). With the loss of the infant carrier the snap and go is also now out of the picture. We had thought for a long time that we would go with a Maclaren. After some thought we decided to take a look a round and see what else was out there. We were forced to conducted a lot of Internet research since there are no decent baby stores around here. Finally we found a stroller that we thought we could love, and we do. We settled on the Quinny Zapp which is the smallest folding stroller in the world. It only weighs 10 pounds and folds up into its own storage bag. You can even fit it in the overhead compartment on a plane. It is so easy to push and seems like it will be a dream to travel with. You can see a video of it in action at this YouTube link.

Carter 6-8 Months

2008-08-30T22:28:00.001-05:00

A collection of pictures of Carter from the last two months.

You Have to Crawl Before You Can Walk (part 2)

2008-08-28T20:32:00.002-05:00

HE DID IT!

Another Great Visit

2008-08-26T20:46:00.002-05:00

Cooper's sister came to visit with the boys this last week. It made for quite a lot of activity around here. We had plans to go to the zoo on Saturday, but topical storm Fay put a stop to that plan. Instead, the new Bass Pro Shop had to take its place. They have a very large freshwater aquarium with local fish and its fed by a two story water fall. You can check it out here Jamie and Emily baked some cookies on Saturday and Cooper took Jamie to the great Prattville recycling center as well. It was sad when everyone left and now we are back to three.

First Friends

2008-08-21T06:20:00.003-05:00

Carter had a chance this past weekend to spend time with the first person he's met close to his age. Our new next door neighbors have a 6 month old son Nathan. We went over there Sunday evening and it was the first time one of the boys had not been sleeping. They played on the floor and were very interested in what the other was doing. They then had a contest to see who could have the more complete melt-down when bed time was getting close. We think Carter won for sure.

Splish - Splash

2008-08-03T19:58:00.000-05:00

Carter had his first chance to go swimming this past weekend and he loved it! We went to a party at a co-worker's house and they had a very nice pool in the backyard. We bought Carter some swimming diapers and in he went. We was a little unsure about what to do and pretty much just wanted to hang on to daddy and watch what the big kids were doing. After a little while he decided he had had enough of the big pool and went to check out the girls at the kiddie pool.

The Big Bounce

2008-07-28T19:02:00.002-05:00

Carter loves his exercise/bouncy seat. Check out this video.

Don't forget you can always see all Carter's videos by visiting our YouTube Channel here: http://www.youtube.com/user/coopersteele

Life's a Peach

2008-07-27T16:49:00.000-05:00

Even though it may seem we constantly gripe and complain about the things we don't like about Alabama, there is one redeeming quality: great peaches. Peaches are in season now and we picked some up at the local farmers market. They are SOOOO good. We bought a whole basket and decided to freeze them so we can enjoy them in the coming months.

You Have to Crawl Before You Can Walk

2008-07-27T16:36:00.003-05:00

Carter is really trying to get the hang of this crawling thing. As you can see from the video he is almost there.

Faces

2008-07-08T20:47:00.003-05:00

Yummy Yummy

2008-06-26T18:31:00.002-05:00

Yesterday, Carter tried solid foods for the first time. Up to this point he has led a rather boring culinary existence with only milk and formula. As you can see from the picture the first food was sweet potatoes. He seemed more curious than really interested in actually eating them. It was fun to see him take a bite and then be surprised at the texture in his mouth. He probably only actually ate 2 tablespoons or so, but for the first time ever, he did very well.

Rollin, Rollin, Rollin

2008-06-15T17:04:00.001-05:00

Carter woke up this morning and decided today would be the day to figure out if he rolled over more than once, he could get somewhere. It takes a little while between rolls, so we used the camera to make a time-lapse video. Next up...crawling!

Wood Works

2008-06-13T17:31:00.000-05:00

Cooper has finally finished the bookcase and side table for Carter's room. Both are made from cherry wood and have oil and varnish finishes. They match the crib and changing table giving the room a unified look. As you can see we also hung some new pictures in Carter's room and made some other changes. We are finally starting to feel like the nursery is complete; six months after the baby was born. Better late than never.

Another Video Slideshow

2008-06-13T06:56:00.001-05:00

Over the River and Through the Woods

2008-06-04T20:04:00.011-05:00

And on a plane and multiple car rides to grandmother's house we go. Actually we went to all the grandmother's houses. We have just returned from Carter's first trip: a whirlwind tour of three states, multiple family visits and a baptism.

Carter did remarkably well on his first plane ride when we left from Atlanta on the morning of 15 May:

We arrived in Vermont and jumped into our very(free) upgraded car and drove to Aunt Mary and Uncle Ernie's house. While in Vermont Carter got to meet his Great-Grandmother (Steele) as well as Andy, Betsy, Dana and Lucy.

We drove back to Massachusetts with Grandma and Grandaddy (Steele) but stopped in Fairlee VT to meet Aunt Caroline.

It was then on to Princeton for a week long visit there. Catherine and the boys came mid-week to meet Carter. Click here to see a video of Carter playing with his cousins.

Uncle Chris came up on Friday and the entire Sorge clan came on Saturday to make quite the gathering. Sunday was Carter's baptism at the First Congregational Church in Princeton. Everyone got dressed up and looked very nice.
After a nice reception back at the house, we loaded up into the Sorge bus for the 6 hour trip back to Fairport.

In Fairport, Carter got to spend lots of time with Grammy and Grandpa, Uncle Tim and Aunt Hannah and Melisa. He also got to meet Bob and Inez, all the Sommers family and a whole bunch of other people (probably most of Fairport). Another highlight to the trip was a side visit to Corning to meet Great Grandma and Grandpa Sorge.

They were so happy to meet their first great-grandchild and Carter was more than happy to show off as usual. Soon the entire visit was over and we found ourselves once again going back to Alabama.

This is a pretty short recap of a very busy trip.

You can see all the pictures from the trip by clicking this link

And you can see all the videos from the trip by clicking this link

It ain't over till...

2008-05-04T20:37:00.011-05:00

IT HAS HAPPENED! Emily has FINALLY finished her Master's of Science in Nursing. While the overall program was finished exactly on time, the emotional journey seemed much longer. On Saturday, Emily and I were able to attend her graduation up at UAB. It was held in a huge arena where the university basketball team plays. Neither of us had ever been to such a large graduation. Overall there were about 1000 graduates there and they called off each and every name.

As you can see from the picture with the arrow, it was hard to pick out your family member in the crowd.

Through the magic of text messaging, we were finally able to spot each other. I was not in a good position to get a picture of her on stage, but I did manage to get a video of her name being called (and me yelling congratulations). They conferred all the degrees to the entire arena all at once and only gave out hand shakes on stage. The ceremony lasted from 2:00 to 4:30 and where were certainly glad when it was over.

Our friends Bryan and Julie were kind enough to watch Carter all day for us and then host a small party with some of our friends to celebrate, champagne and all. To see the rest of the pictures and videos, click here.

Congratulations Emily!

You Must be at Least This Tall

2008-04-27T20:34:00.002-05:00

Carter probably won't be getting on any amusement park rides anytime soon. In the meantime, at least he has Mommy.

Rock and Roll

2008-04-27T18:43:00.001-05:00

Carter rolled over on his own for the first time on Saturday! He did it three times in a row and we caught the third time on video. We are so proud of him and he is obviously the most advanced baby ever.

Grandma and Grandaddy Came to Visit

2008-04-20T18:04:00.001-05:00

Grandma and Granddaddy Steele came to visit Carter (and us) last weekend. It was Granddaddy's first chance to meet Carter and everyone had a great time. We spent a lot of time just hanging out with Carter, but did manage to take on outing. On Saturday we went to the Montgomery Home Builders Show and the new convention center in down-town. The show itself was a little disappointing, but the new convention center was impressive. You can see some more pictures from the visit by clicking here.

Scrub a Dub

2008-04-14T21:02:00.000-05:00

Carter has really started to enjoy his bath.

Shake, Rattle, and Roll

2008-04-14T20:57:00.002-05:00

Carter has learned to interact with the rattle that hangs on his floor gym.

Carter Was Three Months Old On Friday

2008-03-31T20:24:00.001-05:00

We made this video to celebrate Carter turning three months old

Happy Easter

2008-03-24T20:01:00.004-05:00

Easter weekend seemed like most other weekends these days, too short. The major accomplishment was the installation of a new dishwasher by Cooper. We're convinced the dishwasher installed by the builder was simply designed to make noise and wet dishes. We actually had a number of dishes come out dirtier than they went in.

Despite the poor choice of model, the installer did a bang-up job making sure it could not be taken out. Cooper finally managed to get it out of the cabinet and Emily jumped at the chance to "clean behind the dishwasher" since she had never done that before.

The new dishwasher from Kenmore went in like a dream and was very easy to connect. It was rated #1 by consumer reports and we were very pleased with the results of the first wash. Plus the best part is it matches the refrigerator. But now the stove doesn't match the rest of the appliances, hmmm....

After a day of dishwasher installing, we packed up Carter and headed over to our friends Hugh and Heather's house for Easter dinner. We got together with some other couples who didn't have family in the area and we had a great time. We forgot to have them take and Easter picture of us, so we took one ourselves when we got home. Happy Easter!

The Skype's the Limit

2008-03-18T21:18:00.001-05:00

Technology is a wonderful thing! We have really gotten hooked on the Skype program. The video phone never took off in this country, but webcam chats are alive and well. So far we only have two friends and families set up to chat with us, but we are hoping to add more. In the photo, Cooper's sister Cate is talking with Emily. This was after we had already had a conversation with our nephews where we could see and hear them and they could see and hear us. We all thought that was pretty neat but Jamie thought the best part was seeing our cat. He thought his new cousin was pretty neat too. If you don't have a webcam, you should get one. We recommend the Logitech brand webcams which are available at most office supply or electronic stores. They seem to work the best with Skype.

If you get established on Skype, give us a call. Our Skype user name is cooper.steele.

Montgomery Hates Basil

2008-03-18T21:03:00.000-05:00

It only took trips to 5 different grocery stores to locate some much needed fresh basil for a recipe, but we were finally successful. Montgomery is apparently boycotting fresh herbs. This culinary adventure was the latest in a series of local interactions that have spawned the creation of a new feature on the Steele Family Blog: Reasons We Despise Montgomery. Each time we come across a new reason why we dislike the Montgomery area we will add it to the list. When the list becomes too long to fit on the blog (which we're sure it will), we will erase what we have and start again. Think of it as a "living" list. It will constantly be growing and changing and should truly capture our disdain for this corner of America.

A Little Video

2008-03-08T16:14:00.002-06:00

Two Months Old

2008-02-29T21:28:00.000-06:00

Carter was two months old yesterday! Doesn't he look thrilled.

Mi Casa es Su Casa

2008-02-24T18:15:00.000-06:00

Carter got to go to his first restaurant last week. Anyone who has been to visit us knows that of course that restaurant would be Jose's Cantina. It is our favorite restaurant in Prattville and just up the road from us. Jose was very happy to meet and take a picture with his newest customer.

How Many?

2008-02-24T18:11:00.001-06:00

How many people does it take to give one baby a bath? Seven.

From Ear to Ear

2008-02-24T18:07:00.000-06:00

Carter has added a new facial expression to his repertoire; a smile! He has just started to give us his cute little grin over the last week. We've seen hints of it before, but usually only while he was sleeping or passing gas. It is so cute to see him reacting to his surroundings a little more.

Everyone Came to Visit

2008-02-24T18:05:00.000-06:00

Carter (and us too) had a visit from Grammy and Grandpa, Auntie Hannah, Uncle Tim and Melissa this last week. Grammy, Grandpa, and Auntie Hannah drove in from NY and arrived on Friday the 15th and left on the 22nd. Uncle Tim and Melissa flew in on Wed and just left this morning. It was a great visit for everyone, except for the Tornado. There wasn't too much fighting over who was going to hold Carter or give him a bottle. We certainly enjoyed the little break it gave us. Carter can't wait for Grandma and Granddaddy to come in April!

It's a TWISTER!!!

2008-02-19T21:12:00.008-06:00

Sunday morning started like most mornings with the small difference that we were under a tornado watch that started at 5:30am. We didn't think much of it since it is a common occurrence this time of year. We kept an eye on the weather and when it became clear some storms were headed our way, we cancelled the plans we had to go out shopping. Emily's parents and sister are visiting us and we were looking forward to the chance to get out of the house with Carter and the Sorges.

At about 2:00 the tornado sirens started going off in Prattville. We knew a storm cell with some rotation was heading through the extreme northern part of the county (we are southern part) so it was really nothing to take seriously. We took Hannah and Dad outside to capture the sound of the sirens and the ominous looking sky, but we really felt no danger at this point.

We went back in the house and continued cleaning up from lunch. At 2:30 the news started saying that a cell with rotation that had been to the south and west of us near Selma, was turning to the northeast. A few minutes later the weather man said that cell should be coming over Prattville at about 2:54. Emily suggested we go sit in the central hallway (our designated safe area) and there was no argument.

Cooper continued to alternate between the south facing window and the hallway. At 3:00 the rain started to come a little harder and the wind became a little stronger. Cooper decided to come back to the hallway and that is when we first heard the sound of the train engine. It's true what they say, it sounds just like a freight train. Cooper took a peak around the corner and could see out to the field behind our house and saw shingles and other debris floating around in the air 100 - 200 feet up. At that point we all huddled a little closer together and just listened. The terrible sound got progressively louder and louder for about 30 seconds and then dead silence. We didn't really realize how loud it was until the extreme silence that followed. After a few minutes we went to look outside and this is what we saw from our front door.

We really didn't think things were that bad, but then Cooper's cell phone rang. It was his commander saying one of his coworkers who lives on the other side of the neighborhood had lost his roof. Cooper jumped in his truck and tried to get over to the other side of the neighborhood, but the connecting streets were already blocked by rubberneckers. After some creative maneuvering over the community center lawn and sidewalk, he made it to the other side and to his friend’s house. His roof was in fact OK, but most of his windows were blown out, his garage door bent and ripped from the rails and his entire fence flattened. It wasn't the worst in our neighborhood though, here are the worst hit houses.

Cooper and Dad spent the rest of the day helping friends and neighbors patch holes in roofs and board up windows. A curfew was put into effect and by sundown everyone was back home.

We spent the next 24 hours trying to get as much information as possible from the radio and our friends (we had no power or phone service). We still have no cable service right now (we're used to it) but we have found out how badly Prattville was hit. You can see the hardest hit areas down the road from us at the Montgomery Advertiser website and WSFA TV.

This satellite photo shows our house with the green dot, and the approximate path of the tornado.

We were very lucky.

Thankfully It Wasn't WalMart

2008-02-09T22:44:00.000-06:00

We had our first outing as a family today! It wasn't much of an adventure in the grand scheme of things, but it was the first time the three of us went someplace together that wasn't the base clinic. We are very sure that Carter will not remeber a thing about it; not only because of his age, but also the fact that he slept the whole time. From the time we left the house, to getting back 3 hours later, he didn't wake up once. If only he would sleep like that at night!

How to Calm Carter

2008-01-31T20:41:00.000-06:00

Everyone knows it can be hard to calm a fussy baby. Some people buy expensive sound machines or play white noise CDs to soothe thier babies. Luckly, we already have a sound machine living here full time. It may not be as cute as a lullaby or the Michelob song (thanks Dad Steele), but it sure is effective.

It Don't Mean A Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)

2008-01-23T17:33:00.000-06:00

When Dr. Frederick von Swingheimer invented the first swing in 1745, he was clearly on to something. When someone decided to make a swing for babies: pure genius. As new parents people have already given us a few "I can't believe the things they have now ...". We shouldn't kid ourselves though, if there had been swings like this, they would have been used.

It is safe to say that Carter has spent significantly more time in his swing than in the hand built crib his father made; and that's OK. Just look at how content he is to sit there and rock back and forth (even with the wrecking crew in the kitchen). Add the mobile and water sounds and he is out like a little light. We are so grateful to Dr. Tom and Kelly for getting this to us. If sleep were an activity that we still participated in, we would find a way to get one of these for ourselves.

It Snowed!!!!!!!

2008-01-20T17:24:00.000-06:00

Believe it or not (we aren't sure we do yet) it snowed here in Alabama. Yesterday we got about an inch of snow. The weather people were saying it was the most significant snow in about 35 years. Just like back home, they were also way off on the amounts; they projected 3-6 inches.
What was different was the behavior of the weather casters. 24 hours prior to the storm, they issued a heavy snow warning, which stayed in effect even after they started predicting only an inch. During the storm, the news casters were begging people to please stay in their homes and stay off the roads. They wanted everyone to just hunker down and ride it out. It was laughable for sure.
It did provide a little interest to what should have been Carter's actual due date. To see more photos and some video of Carter seeing the snow, click the link below.
http://picasaweb.google.com/cooperandemily/SnowInAlabama?authkey=ulihjjQM4DM

Welcome Carter!

2008-01-20T08:13:00.000-06:00

It seemed to be a good idea that the first post on this blog be about the main reason for it: the birth of our son Carter. Carter Anthony Steele was born on 28 December 2007 at 11:32am. He weighed 6lbs 7oz and was 19.25 inches long. He was in a hurry to get here and tried to come almost 5 weeks before his Jan 19 due date. Emily stayed in the hospital for a week while the doctors and nurses worked hard to stop the contractions and keep the baby cooking a little longer.
We were able to go home for Christmas, but on the 27th, the doctor sent us back to the hospital with the idea that he was going to induce Emily on the day she reached the 37 week mark. The doctor got things moving around 10:00 and predicted we would have our baby by 11:27. He was off by only 5 minutes!
Carter was very healthy and scored a 10 on the Apgar despite being born a little early. The labor was perfect and Emily came through with flying colors. 48 hours later, we were home and ready to start never sleeping again.

To see more photos of Carter's arrival, click here: http://picasaweb.google.com/cooperandemily/CarterSArrival?authkey=FZ6YhZilLKo