Erin Akin Carroll

We’ve been married for two years now. We’ve had a baby, quit two jobs, and TC started his own practice. Things haven’t exactly been easy peasy and completely carefree. We’ve had a lot on our plates and we’ve leaned on each other heavily to get through each obstacle, challenge, and triumph.

We’ve had our share of snippy moments. I’m passionate, vocal, and loud. I never hold back. If something is wrong and TC asks me what’s wrong, I give him the full story and rarely come up for air. If something is bothering him, it takes a while for me to get to the bottom of it and it takes him a while to open up. He’s agreeable (for the most part) and goes with the flow.

So our communication styles are very different. He’s a thinker and I’m impulsive. And this has led to a few tense moments in our short two years.

But then things get right back to normal and we’re laughing, joking, and going about our day just enjoying the little moments together.

We heard a couple of stories this weekend about failed marriages or marriages that seem to be in in trouble, and the whole time we’re hearing this we kept looking over at each other. And each time I looked at my husband, I loved him even more.

No matter how many fits Hudson throws in a day that put me at my wits end or how many stressful days of work and sleepless nights that TC is faced with, we’re in this together. We chose this life. We chose to love each other in the midst of career, family, baby, mortgages, and crazy cone-wearing dogs. And sometimes when hearing about someone else’s struggles, it helps us stop to think, look at each other, and know that we’ve got it made.

We’ve got it made in the midst of poopy diapers, leaking roofs, old cars that we refuse to give up on, bill-paying, meal-planning, and all of the daily responsibilities.

Long weekends are always so great. I feel like on a regular weekend, the time flies by and between 7:00 p.m. on Friday night and 8:00 a.m. on Monday morning we still have a lot of responsibility. Between taking care of Hudson and the dogs, we have church activities and home maintenance responsibilities. We spend time together, but we’re still wrapped up in the “have tos.”

This weekend we were able to truly relax and spend good time together. We got to see a movie together and cook together and at the end of the day I know that I learned a little more about my husband.

But even without a date night or official plans, it’s possible to get that same feeling while just sitting in your home. As long as you’re doing something together. And you remember to laugh.

How do you keep that feeling alive in the midst of babies, houses, careers, and responsibilities?

We had a really busy week and I put my camera to good use almost every day! This is what we’ve been up to…

Little Gym Ceremony

Hudson had his last class at The Little Gym for the semester. He is enrolled in a summer class and a fall class, but this was his last time in the “Bugs” class. I will miss all of the other sweet babies and I know Hudson will miss his friends that don’t move up to the “Birds” class with him.

He got to try out all of his tricks this week including forward rolls. He’s so good at tucking his head. He also loves doing flips on the bar and hanging on the bar!

At the end of the class, each baby got a medal from the teacher. Hudson was very proud!

Banana Pudding

I’ve posted this recipe before, but I made my go-to dessert recipe on Wednesday for a choir party at church. I made Paula Deen’s Not Yo Mama’s Banana Pudding. This is what I make every time I bring a dessert to a function. It’s quick and easy and it’s always a crowd pleaser!

Hudson’s First Balloon

I had to make a trip to Publix early on Wednesday morning and a sweet girl working at the store saw Hudson and offered him a balloon. He was pretty excited and played with that balloon the whole way home. He wasn’t so sure about it when we got home, so that explains the look of confusion on his face.

Overnight Visitors

My friend, Lyndsey, and her husband and daughter were passing through Columbia on their way to celebrate Memorial Day weekend out of town. It worked out perfectly for them to stay the night in Columbia before getting up and driving the rest of the way. Hudson loves playing with Addison and we were able to pull out Hudson’s Jump ‘n Go that he had outgrown and Addison got to play in it. Hudson wasn’t so sure he was ready to share his toy, but Addison loved it!

Time with Lyndsey is never long enough, but we had a great little visit and can’t wait to do it again.

Birthday Party Planning

I’ll do a full post on how I’ve tried to stay organized with Hudson’s birth party planning, but I just wanted to show y’all where I’m “holding” all of his birthday party supplies. When the party gets a little closer I’ll start staging everything a little at a time so there isn’t as much to do on the day of the party. I was an event planner in my pre-SAHM days and I loved my job. But I love the events I plan for the people I love the most!

Reality TV Finale Week

American Idol: I used to be such a die hard American Idol fan. I was a little bored this season and I think it was because Simon was obviously checked out. I liked Lee and Crystal equally, but I really didn’t care which one was the winner. Crystal is more unique and I will definitely buy her record.

I cared so much more about the Simon farewell and tributes than any other part of the show on Wednesday night. I got choked up with almost every tribute. And when all of the former Idols (except David Cook- where was he?) came out and sang together I couldn’t stop the tears. (Am I a basket case or what?) It was so moving and I love that they all remember their roots and were willing to come back to thank one of the people that got them where they are today.

The show will not be the same without Simon Cowell. I am a huge fan and don’t find him to be offensive or rude. I think he’s honest and I think he’s always right.

I really like Kara DioGuardi and I think she does a great job at being honest and providing a strong, knowledgeable opinion. And the contestants can take her constructive critiques and do better the next week.

My only negative comment is that Paula should never ever attempt comedy again. It was sweet to bring her back and Simon obviously loves her, but she should sing, dance, or just come out and sit down.

Dancing With the Stars: Obviously my favorite couple, Erin and Maks, didn’t win. I was never a Nicole fan. The girl can dance like it’s her job– and it kind of was her job at one point– but I didn’t like her attitude and the way she acted like she had won after week 1.

Transition to the Sippycup

Because we’re almost done with formula (1 more week) and Hudson is a “big boy” now, we’ve been using a sippycup instead of the bottle during the day. Hudson has stopped taking his morning bottle and takes a sippycup of formula once in the middle of the day and takes a bottle at night. He still loves his night time bottle, but he also loves his sippycup. We found that he likes the straw better than the normal cup and it’s just so cute to watch him drink out of that straw!

I hope you’ve all had a great week and are looking forward to a relaxing Memorial Day weekend.

After receiving a few emails on the subject, I’m going to post my tips and tricks on how to travel on a plane or long car trip with a baby. I’m not an expert, but I can share what worked for us!

What is your dream job?

The question isn’t “What is your dream job based on your skill set and your college major?” This isn’t “what is the best job you can possibly have with a degree in speech communication?”

I’m talking about, if you could get paid to do anything in the whole world what would it be?

For years, my fantasy has been to be a back-up singer. Ideally, I’d sing back-up for Elton John or James Taylor. I’d get to sing the greatest songs ever written, but I wouldn’t be front and center wondering “does this outfit make my butt look fat?” I always sing along with the back-up singers when I hear a song and the harmonies are my favorite parts to sing.

I would wear all black and sway back and forth with two other people and harmonize to “Carolina In My Mind” or “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.”

I wouldn’t have to deal with the paparazzi because, let’s face it, no one cares about back-up singers. You get the fun of the tour without the pressure of the fame.

And maybe I could even sing back-up for Carrie Underwood! On the other hand, if they ever did background checks after I auditioned, and they found my blog, they’d discover my huge girl crush on Carrie and decide that I shouldn’t be allowed to be her back-up singer.

So what’s your fantasy job?

This is such a strange thing. In every other period in our lives, we’ve had people our age, with similar interests, handed to us on a platter with a sign that says “this is your friend pool. Play nice.” We had this in elementary school, middle school, high school, and even college. When we got to college we were able to be a little more selective about who we chose to be our friends. Even in a sorority, you weren’t close with every single girl. But in college, we were able to meet our dearest friends with whom we shared some of the best times of our lives.

After college, I moved here to Columbia for grad school. I made another fantastic friend during that year and we have remained close. Unfortunately, she moved away and I stayed. I met Todd. We have made our life here in Columbia. But my best college friends aren’t here and my one good grad school friend isn’t here. It was a tough transition.

As a newlywed, you want to have couple friends. You want to spend time with your spouse and friends that you both share. But isn’t it so hard to find friends that you can equally share? Where you both love both people in the other couple?

It’s so common for the wife to hit it off with another wife, but the husbands can’t find much that they have in common. Or vice versa.

We found a great network of friends in our Sunday school class. We’re surrounded by wonderful couples who love each other and are the most kind, loving people you’ll ever meet. It was like being a kid all over again. We walked into a room full of couples our age and we instantly had 8 couples that we couldn’t wait to get to know!

The next challenge has been finding friends who have children. We were the first couple out of friends to have a baby and I would be lying if I said it hasn’t been hard to not have another mom or another baby to hang out with and have play dates with. TC and I both grew up spending all of our time with one other family who had a child our age. Our parents were best friends with their parents and our moms had been pregnant at the same time as their moms. It sounds perfect, doesn’t it?

I was fortunate to meet so many bloggers (who are now some of my best friends) who were pregnant when I was pregnant and we got very close as we swapped pregnancy and birth stories. And now we swap stories about our precious babies. I’ve also met some great women in Hudson’s Little Gym class, so we’re coming along slowly, but surely!

I know a lot of wonderful girls through the Junior League who are also moms and I’ve made some great friends there, but I’m talking about family friends. Mom, dad, and children.

But even though none of them have kids of their own, our friends have been wonderful to us and have loved our little boy in a way that we could have only prayed for. And I know that when they do have children that we’ll do the same for them and Hudson will be a good older playmate for them!   *I usually keep their pictures off of the blog because not everyone wants to be on the internet! But this picture from when some of them visited the hospital is so sweet that I had to share it.

Has anyone else experienced this? Did you think it was hard to make friends as a couple? How about as a parent?