2 months worth of updates

So here’s yet another long overdue update on the Herman clan. We’ve had a busy couple of months between work and vacations. Ryan and I both had work for a conference Southern was hosting back in May. His office was the one hosting the conference and I was contracted to do all the materials (create the logo, promotional video, certificates, advertisements, etc- you name it, I made it/did it). That kept us VERY busy for the better part of the month and then we left right after the conference was over for a trip to my home state of Indiana.

The choir that I was in for 10 years (3rd-12th grade) was celebrating its 20th anniversary and invited all the alumni back. The choir was one of the biggest parts of my life and where my closest friends were, so it was nice to get to see (most) everyone again and reminisce about old times and the various trips (5 different countries and numerous states).

While there we got to visit with family, but sadly very few friends (that’s the problem with visiting during the week when people have to work). Hopefully we’ll get to see more people next time, whenever that may be.

After Indiana we headed to North Carolina (after a short stop in Chattanooga to see our new niece, Isabella!) where Ryan was presenting at Fletcher Academy’s graduation and then setting up for Carolina Camp Meeting. We enjoyed being back in the warm weather (it was only in the 50’s in Indiana) and Carter particularly enjoyed Nana and Papa’s pool. He also bonded with Papa since Nana wasn’t there (she was in TN with Amy and baby Bella).

We came home with a week and a half before Ryan’s cousin Tim got married. I was commissioned to do an oil portrait of the couple for use at the rehearsal dinner and that’s how I spent most of my time, while Ryan tried to get caught up at work. Ryan’s sister Julie was able to come down from Michigan for the wedding, so afterward we all went back to NC so we could get all the cousins together (a first since Carter was born).

As soon as we got back I was on to yet another project, this time a series of graphite portraits done from live sittings. This actually is still going on, with one portrait done so far and 3 more to go. (Needless to say, it’s been a great year for commissions so far). Ryan got to move offices when he got back. The enrollment office is finally getting re-modeled, so he’s working out of a dorm room for the summer until the new offices are done.

Carter goes for his 15mo check up next week, but we already know he’s growing like a weed. Before we left on the first trip he had to stand on his tip-toes to touch a door knob. Now he can just reach up and turn them. He’s also picking up on everything now. He’ll repeat just about anything. He knows all his body parts and will point to them when you ask (and say some of them). He’s also really good with peoples’ names now and he’s starting to learn colors. He recognizes and says the colors green, purple, and blue. As a matter of fact, while I’ve been writing this he brought one of his toys over and showed it to me and said purple hippo (which it was).

Last night he was talking to me in what I thought was his normal gibberish, but when I stopped to pay attention to him, he was quite clearly pointing to his coloring set saying ‘crayon’. I asked if he wanted his crayons and he responded by saying ‘color’. So we spent some quality time coloring in his coloring book. He’s not much of an artist yet, but he loves to color. He especially loves to go outside and use his sidewalk chalk on the driveway. It’s the first thing he goes to when we’re out there. It would appear that his favorite color is green- it’s the one he always wants and says.

Our big trial right now is Carter has gotten really good at climbing and will climb on (and often fall off of) just about anything. He can climb half way up his crib from the outside, so we figure it’s only a matter of time until he figures out how to get the rest of the way over (from the inside or the out), which means his toddler bed will soon be seeing more action than just nap time.

Carter now eats everything (literally- edible or not) and has no problem eating more food at a meal than his mommy does. Thankfully he doesn't appear to have any food allergies. His favorite word is 'no' and we have experienced the beginnings of temper tantrums. I know this comes with his developing vocabulary and his frustration with expressing himself, but it's frustrating for us none the less.

Well that’s all I can think of for now and it’s a long blog anyway, so until next time… toodles!