The Real Crawling Video

Finally...video evidence of Carter crawling. He is so funny, because he really only uses one knee to crawl while holding the other leg straight. It's hard to see in the video, but unmistakeable in person...too cute!

As you can guess, the toy in the video is GiGi's. He wants her toys more than his own, and you can even hear her give a low growl in the video, but that doesn't stop him. Carter thinks everything in the house is his for the taking!

My little munchkin is so mobile that the other morning I put him in the living room with toys while I was in my bathroom getting ready for work. Lo and behold, I heard him crying and knocking on the bathroom door...he had crawled through the house to get to me! That was the highlight of my day :)

Real Food, Fun Toys, and Basketball

Carter is doing all sorts of new and fun things each day. It is amazing to watch him go from learning to sit up, to being able to crawl, pull himself up, and walking around furniture. Here are some pictures to show you what a big boy Carter has gotten to be. He can now eat regular table food, and is devouring it with gusto!


The famous Carter nose scrunch


Eating chicken and rice in the living room on the ottoman...only Daddy!


Shooting hoops

Going into the toy bin to find exactly what he wants

Yep, he spotted it!

A ball....he is all boy!

He sat and played for 45 minutes on Sunday while Derrick and I finished watching a movie. He is very good at getting what he wants and entertaining himself.

Getting Bigger by the Minute

Carter has now mastered the art of standing and playing with toys for long periods of time. Here are some shots of him playing with a toy at his babysitter's house. She told me yesterday that he is even beginning to walk (while holding onto objects) from toy to toy to play with different things. He'll be walking before I know it!


Hey - check me out!


What? I'm just standing...no big deal

Look at me go - I'm so big!

Carter at the Sprinkler Park

Last Tuesday, Carter went to the sprinkler park in Collierville with his babysitter. I knew he would love it because he LOVES swimming and baths...he's a little water baby. Here are some pictures that his babysitter took and sent me. Wish I could have been there, buddy!


Playing by a spout


Playing with his friend, Jude, in the water


Overhead shot

Ready to kick back, relax, and nap!

10 Months...My How Time Flies

Carter is 10 months old, which is hard to believe. It is crazy to think that I carried him in my belly for as long as he has now been in my arms. Here are some pictures from the last week or so in our busy lives. There was a trip to Kentucky wedged in as well, and we had a great time. It was so nice to see Aunt Debbie, and to be able to see Toby & Nicole's girls, Sophia and Ashlyn.


Carter making his new "face" at home. We keep telling him this is not cute, but he doesn't listen!


Check out this hair - it is next to impossible to tame.


Another hair shot...Carter is deep in concentration with his little car

Carter playing at Sophie & Ashlyn's house

Carter & his MiMi - looks like I caught him mid-sentence

Big smiles at home - he is now taking steps around the ottoman

Carter & Daddy - my two favorite boys!

Most Adorable Video Ever...

Carter has finally learned how to give you a kiss, which is the sweetest thing in the entire world. When you pucker up and get his attention, he will come at you with a wide open mouth, ready to slobber up your lips. Last night, Derrick was reading Carter his favorite book (Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? by Dr. Seuss) and Carter kept spontaneously leaning in to give him kisses. I have a better video with a series of 5-6 kisses on my regular video camera, but the file is too big to upload.

Watch the very beginning to see the kiss monster in action :)

Baby Julia

On Sunday night, I traveled to the big city of Camden to visit my friend Karen, her husband, Shane, and baby girl, Julia Ellen. When I got there, she was sleeping contently in her bouncy seat, but then woke up so I could feed, hold, and snuggle her. I always say that a baby who spits up on you loves you, so this little one loves me a lot!

She was 1 month old on Sunday and still weighs less than Carter did when he was born. This amazes me!


Julia in her adorable outfit


Close-up


Sweet baby girl

Excuse me, no more cameras

Officially over the photo shoot

Weekend Wrap-Up

These pictures are from Sunday & Monday night, when we had visitors and just a normal night in the Pennington household.


Carter thinks he can read better than Derrick or I and always tries to take the books away from us....to eat!


Derrick & Carter reading


Kim and Baby Bump Kinlee came to visit on Sunday

Papaw (Derrick's Dad) also came to visit Sunday. Carter, suck in that gut, son!

Carter & Papaw

Lindsey's 25th Birthday Celebration

On Friday night, after swimming, we celebrated my sister, Lindsey's 25th birthday. We started out with a nice dinner at Firebird's, then home to open gifts, have ice cream cake, and watch the Collierville fireworks.


Katlin sitting in her high chair at the restaurant


My beautiful niece, Katlin


I love this little munchkin!


Katlin & Carter in their pj's - ready to watch fireworks from the back of MiMi's Yukon


Carter sacked out not too much later...

Friday - Visit with the Straceners

Derrick and I were both off work on Friday, so he played golf while Carter and I shopped for my sister's birthday gift. Around 1:30, we met up to swim at Ken & Janet's house in Olive Branch. Carter loved it there - not only was there a pool and 4 girls to play with, but there was also a non-stop cracker, popsicle, and chocolate buffet!


Mr. Ken, Carter, and Mrs. Janet


Carter & Mr. Ken

Family Surprise!

Last Wednesday night, Kelley called Derrick and asked us to come to dinner on Thursday night. We knew this was out of the ordinary, so she told us to come because there was a surprise announcement being made and that no one could know beforehand. We thought of all kinds of scenarios...someone's pregnant, they hit the lottery, Pete is opening a restaurant, etc. but it turns out the surprise was a visit from Kristi, Derrick's sister who we haven't seen in forever. It was her first time to meet both Carter and Emma, Amy's 18 month old. We enjoyed a night of family, catching up, and pizza!


Nana & Pop with all 9 grandchildren


Hailee & Savannah


Zack & Blakney

Thomas, Savannah, Hailee

Shannon & Kristi

Shannon, Garrett, & Kristi

Emma & Ashton

Ashley, Carter, Hailee, Savannah, Amy, Kirsten, Kristi, & Ashton

Amy with Ashton & Kirsten

Derrick, Shelby, Shannon, Garrett, Kelley, Kristi, Ashley

Hailee & Carter

Shannon, Derrick, & Kristi

Now, with the addition of Shelby...