The Smiles of Miles

Pre-Easter Celebration at the Clinton Presidential Library

2010-03-27T12:59:00.000-07:00

Miles's alligator and reading with Dad

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Fun with Miles

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Walking around the back porch

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Miles at 1 year

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Walking Miles

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Miles, my little puppy

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Moo Miles

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Petit Jean State Park

2009-11-14T05:31:00.001-08:00

Professional photos of Miles and fam, taken by Lindsey Massey

2009-11-14T05:18:00.000-08:00

Miles in month 8

2009-11-14T04:51:00.001-08:00

Above: M with food all over his face...common occurrence
Below: Miles in his new Arkansas jacket

Miles playing with his Thomas ball. He loves to throw and roll the ball.

Miles in Daddy's Razorback hat. He's not a huge fan of wearing hats, but he kept it on long enough for me to snap a few photos.

First Halloween!

2009-10-31T18:42:00.000-07:00

Our little Yoda won the neighborhood costume contest for his age group!

We also went on our first family hike with Miles. It was a VERY short hike on the Base Trail at Pinnacle Mountain. Miles loved looking around at everything from his backpack carrier.

It was a great first Halloween!

Miles in month 7

2009-10-14T15:24:00.000-07:00

Miles trying to figure out what on earth we put on his feet. He kicked his new shoes off rather quickly, and we have an ongoing battle to keep them on his feet.

Miles with my Mom. She came to help with the move!

Rob and Miles during one of our MANY stops during the drive to Big Cedar Lodge in Missouri.

Cutie Miles

Woo Pig!

Hog Wild Miles

2009-09-05T18:19:00.001-07:00

The first Razorback game day of Miles's life! Woo Pig!!

More Miles - 6 Months Old

2009-09-05T18:00:00.000-07:00

Miles's sweet little profile

Mommy's angel

Watching Daddy play bluegrass banjo and LOVING it!

Irish Miles

Miles's first jeans! Too cute!

Miles: Month #5

2009-09-05T17:49:00.001-07:00

Miles listening to Rob play the clawhammer banjo. He loves watching Daddy play - he looks back and forth from one hand to the other.

Miles being held by Kiki (Rob's mom)

Miles in his Bumbo seat, which he outgrew after about a week. His legs got too big for the leg holes!! My little tubbo!

Miles and Daddy

Miles in the last month or so....He's 5 months old today!

2009-07-15T12:06:00.000-07:00

Miles at 21 weeks.

Above: Smiley Miles laughing with Daddy.

Below: Miles taking a dip in his new pool.

Miles in his new Dreamworks tee, sent from Diane and Kyle.

Miles at 20 Weeks....watching baseball with Daddy...arghhh.

Miles in his Dodger hat, from Kyle and Diane.

Miles's first 4th of July! We watched the parade and went to the neighborhood gathering.
20 Weeks.

Miles with Daddy, 19 Weeks.

Miles wearing shorts! Too cute! 18 weeks.

Banjo Miles: 16 Weeks.

Miles at 14 Weeks - visitors, new shoes and the Exersaucer.

2009-06-01T15:12:00.000-07:00

Here's Miles with his new Exersaucer - he was so excited!

Rob and I went to a wedding....my first time dressing up in 4 months!

Cheryl kept little Miles for us. Man, did I miss him.

More exersaucer pics.

Miles enjoying tummy time on the blanket my Grandma made for him.
He loved studying the pictures.

Exersaucer!

Lazy Sunday morning on the front porch.

A visit from Michiko and cute little Mei.

And a visit from Becky and precious Lilla - walking and talking!

Momma's Miles.

Jeff , Reta, Finlay and Ada came to stay with us.

Here's sweet Finlay.

Finlay in motion.

Daddy and Miles.

Ada (10 months) and Miles (3.5 months). Miles is a monster!

Miles's first shoes! They're almost too small.

Grandma Cheri got them for him in Charleston.

13 Week Old Miles

2009-05-20T10:15:00.000-07:00

Here's Miles at 13 Weeks.

Miles "typed" his first email with his feet! It looked something like this: nkjjjjjj l; jjjjj

Write it down! Miles actually took the pacifier!! Woohoo! Of course, it only lasted 5 minutes, and I haven't been able to get him to do it again, but maybe we're on to something!

Sleeping Miles -- during the day - not at night! He looks so sweet.

Sunday afternoon: lunch with the parents and pictures in Jerry's yard.

This one is under the same arch Rob and I got married under! : )

And a little video of silly Miles.

Quick Videos

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Quick Videos

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More of Miles at 12 Weeks

2009-05-15T08:37:00.000-07:00

Mother's Day and Miles is 12 weeks old.

2009-05-11T12:49:00.000-07:00

Miles didn't go along with Rob's perfect plan! He was very mad about the whole thing! Rob was so sweet - he made me breakfast, bought me lovely flowers, and had it all sitting right by the new chaise lounge he got me! Little Miles was supposed to sit on the chair wearing his Mother's Day onesie to greet me, but he screamed the whole time. Poor little Miles! He was fine once Rob carried him around a bit, though, and I enjoyed a nice breakfast in my chair and even stole a quick catnap there! : )

Miles at 11 Weeks Old

2009-05-08T15:08:00.000-07:00

Here's Smiley Miles.

Here's Rob getting Miles ready for bath time.

Big Boy Miles

Bath Time Miles

Baby Announcement and 10 Week Photo

2009-05-03T16:52:00.000-07:00

I finally sent out the announcements! See below. These pics were taken when Miles was 11 days old. He's such a cute little guy. It's hard to remember how small he was not so long ago.

And here's little Miles at 10 weeks old. I love his smiles! I haven't caught the big, mouth-wide-open, gummy smile on camera yet, but I hope I do soon!

Miles, the chunky monkey

2009-04-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

8 Weeks - with his floor gym

7 Weeks - at Isle of Palms, SC

6 Weeks - mad about picture time and cozy on the back deck

5 Weeks - sleeping in the bouncer

4 Weeks - in overalls!

Sweet Photos of Miles

2009-03-07T14:15:00.001-08:00

First Bath

2009-03-07T14:00:00.001-08:00

Most of the bath went well. He didn't love it, but he tolerated it.

By the end, however, he had enough!

Luckily, this state of rage only lasted a few minutes. He was perfectly content once dry and warm, and he was ready for his visit with Ganka and Annie.

MooMiles

2009-03-07T13:59:00.001-08:00

More Miles Photos

2009-03-02T18:31:00.001-08:00

Pics of Miles - 11 Days Old

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The First 7 Days

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Miles is Here!

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Miles Caton Baker - born February 15, 2009 at 3:47 PM

38 Weeks

2009-02-10T20:19:00.001-08:00

Here's the 38 week belly shot. Can it get any bigger?

37 Weeks and Superbowl Sunday

2009-02-09T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here we are at 37 weeks. I can hardly believe it! We never thought we'd make it this far, and now we're actually anxious for Miles to come! At my appointment this week I was 2-3 cm dilated and 50% effaced, so I hope it won't be too much longer.

We had Rob's parents and Ganka over to watch the Superbowl (since we're such party animals), and we had a very nice time. I made salsa, corn salad, and bought hummus. Take a look at our yummy spread below.

And Ganka and Cheryl admired the lovely baby blanket my Grandma made for Miles. It's such a wonderful blanket, and I know Miles will love it.

And then, Rob and I went out to dinner with Becky and Graham. We had such a great time with them. I had Rob take a picture since I got sort of dressed up. I've been in pjs so often, it was nice to wear a dress! So, here I am at the end of my 37th week.

36 Weeks

2009-02-02T11:30:00.000-08:00

Yea! I'm off of bedrest! I've been enjoying being able to grocery shop, run errands, and cook once again! I had a craving for pineapple upside-down cake and decided to make one. I'd never done it before, but it turned out well. It's a pretty dessert, and it was vegan!

Below is the new pack'n'play we got from Cheryl. It's awesome. It has a storage compartment with a shelf for the baby clothes, and it folds up like a suitcase with wheels and a handle. We're planning to take it to Sweden with us this summer. We can't wait!

And here's the 36 Week Belly.

Obama!

2009-01-21T07:17:00.000-08:00

Ladies and Gentleman - We have a new President!

Maternity Photo Shoot (28 Weeks)

2009-01-20T13:26:00.000-08:00

Here are some photos my friend Lydia took of Rob and I while we were in Charleston during the Thanksgiving holiday. Thanks, Lyd!

35 Weeks and Baby Shower

2009-01-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

I had a lovely baby shower this weekend hosted by Emily and Jennifer. Poor Jenn got sick and couldn't actually come, but she did a lot of prep work! So, Emily hosted the shower here at my house, and it was so wonderful. So many of my friends were able to stop in and visit. I had such a great time. Check out the photos below. Thanks to Cheryl and Trish, too, for helping Emily get everything ready, and to Jerry for helping them carry it all inside.

Above: me, comfy on the chaise lounge.

Below: the fabulous food spread.

Below: the adorable petits fours Emily brought.
Below: yummy mocha punch Emily made.

Below: amazing diaper cake Jennifer made.

Below: all the lovely gifts.

35 Weeks. Almost there!

33 Weeks

2009-01-18T11:49:00.000-08:00

Above: lovely daisies Rob brought home for me - a little piece of the outside indoors!

Below: 33 Week Belly Pic

Happy 2009!

2009-01-01T12:13:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to All.

We spent our New Year's Eve toasting with sparkling grape juice while watching the ball drop..... ok, ok, so I only made it to the east coast midnight, but Rob did wake me up for our

midnight smooch. I may be on bed rest,

but pregnancy is still too exhausting to stay up so late.

And sweet Rob wanted me to have my traditional New Year's Day meal, so he made me hoppin' johns, collard greens, and corn meal biscuits. Jerry supplied the Arkansas Chow Chow. It was such a wonderful lunch. It's my favorite meal of the year!

Oh yes, I was in my pjs as usual...fancy, eh?

32 Weeks: Month 8 Begins

2008-12-28T10:09:00.000-08:00

I'm 32 weeks now, and thus begins month 8 of pregnancy. Still on bed rest, but I go back to the OB January 2nd. We'll see what she says!

Here's my 32 week belly shot.

Here's the new changing table/dresser.

And here's the new stroller/car seat combo.

And Rob being a crying baby in the stroller.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-28T10:00:00.001-08:00

Merry Christmas!

I'm still on bed rest, but all is well. The little one is getting bigger every day, and his kicks are even starting to hurt a bit sometimes! I was able to go to Conway for Christmas, which was so nice. I'd been stuck in our house for 19 days, so the change of scenery was wonderful. We had a great Christmas with Rob's family!

Bed Rest and a Baby Crib

2008-12-13T09:36:00.000-08:00

We had a bit of a scare last Friday, but all is well now. I had some early contractions that were too close together, so my OB admitted me to Labor and Delivery for one night. But, by Saturday morning, the contractions were well spaced and everything seemed OK. So, now I'm home on bed rest until further notice (It's been a week so far). Bed rest is a pain in the rear, but I'll do whatever they tell me to keep this little boy healthy and safe in my uterus! I think everything is going to be just fine.

We have some fun news, too.....the baby's crib came in! Woohoo! Rob put it together yesterday, and we LOVE it. It's so cute. Check out the photos below.

And this is my view of the world while on bed rest.....my laptop and my belly!

And here I am on the couch, as always.

Charleston, SC Thanksgiving

2008-12-07T15:01:00.000-08:00

Rob and I spent Thanskgiving in Charleston with my family, and it was so nice. We got to spend plenty of time with my fam, friends and each other. Check out these photos of mom and I, grandma and I, and a cloudy day at the beach for Rob and I. The last pic was taken at the Lonestar BBQ in Santee, SC - a century-old post office converted into a restaurant and bluegrass venue. Warren stumbled upon it somehow and took us one night. It was so much fun. Oh how I miss SC and my wonderful family!

27 Week Belly Pic

2008-11-26T07:01:00.000-08:00

Here I am in the middle of my 27th week.

Fabulous Weekends: Philly, the Girls, and Paradise View

2008-11-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

We had three fabulous weekends in a row. First we went to Philly, our old stomping ground, to see friends, explore the city, and, well, eat. We went to all of our favorite restaurants from when we lived there, and we found some new faves. We had dinner with Bridget and John twice, which was great. Bridget is having twin girls and is due just 2 weeks after me. She looked wonderful, and it was so nice spending time with her and John. We also had dinner with Vanessa and Mike, and it was so fun to hang out with them again. We also went with them and their beautiful children, Ellie and Joe, to the zoo. We saw the most amazing gorilla and so many other fun animals. The kids got to experience some of them up close in the petting zoo section. We actually ended up spending a little time with Ellie and Joe each day we were in Philly - which was such a wonderful surprise. Joe even remembered me! He was so sweet, and little Ellie got quite attached to Rob. As you'll see in the picture below, she insisted that Rob carry her!

The next weekend, I was in for a big surprise. I was expecting Caroline and her two children, Gabby and Owen, to spend the weekend with me. They arrived around 5ish Thursday evening, and I was so happy to see them. Owen is so big! And Gabby has grown into such a lovely, beautiful young lady. I miss the little Gabby who used to jump on my dorm bed, but I love this amazing, intelligent teenager Gabby, too. She's so precious.

So, we were all hanging out, enjoying each other's company, when around 9ish that night there was frantic knocking at our front door. I was actually a little alarmed! But when I got to the door I saw Bridget, Julie and Lindsay! They had driven from Atlanta to spend the weekend with us! It was such a great surprise. And I was very impressed that Rob and his mom had kept this secret so well.

It was such a fun reunion for us girls. We hadn't all 5 been together since summer 2006. This reunion was long overdue! Check out our photos from the weekend below. I love my girls!

Bridgie is due two weeks before me, and she's having a little girl. Compare this photo to our original photo last June!

Rob very generously offered to stay home with Owen and Gab while the girls went out to dinner. His mom also came over to help entertain the little one. Rob said Gabby was so helpful with the little guy, too. Looks like they all had fun. In the picture below, Rob and Owen are being vikings.

Me and Gab being silly. (I'm actually trying to make my face look less fat!)

Rob and I.

And finally, Rob and I headed off for a relaxing time at Paradise View Cabin (where we were married in summer 2007). We thoroughly enjoyed our time there. We missed the peak of the fall leaves, but the winter landscape was breathtaking.

Here's a picture of the Buffalo and Steele Creek joining.

Here I am at 25.5 weeks along standing on the same rock that I stood on for my bridal portrait.

And here's a cool picture of the view from the cabin front porch. This was taken as the fog was rolling out of the valley in the early morning.

Month 6 and Hiking the Goat Trail

2008-10-27T19:37:00.001-07:00

I'm now 23 weeks along, which puts me in my 6th month of pregnancy according to all the books. I didn't think the 6th month started until week 24, but apparently pregnancy timing is weird.

I'm feeling great these days. I'm still scatter-brained, and I tire easily, but no major complaints. Our little boy is kicking more and more, and his kicks (or punches - not sure which) are becoming more powerful. Now you can watch my belly to see when he kicks! It's so strange to watch these little protrusions from your own belly. It's all so weird but so amazing.

Rob and I went to a cabin just outside of Eureka Springs this past weekend, hoping to see some fall leaf color. The leaves haven't peaked quite yet, but we saw some brilliant reds and yellows. We had a nice hike Saturday on the Goat Trail up to Big Bluff. We did this hike last fall, and I remembered it being fairly easy. I didn't remember that is was almost 8 miles and mostly uphill on the way out! I had to take many little rests on the way back, but the view was so beautiful - it was totally worth it. It was so nice to be outdoors in this perfect weather. Check out a few photos below from the trip, and also, I've uploaded my 23 week belly pic.

Rob on the trail.

My belly on the trail.

The View.

23 Week Belly.

20 Weeks

2008-10-11T15:04:00.000-07:00

Yay! I'm officially more than halfway through my pregnancy. We had our 20 week scan on Friday, and our little boy is perfect. It was so amazing to watch him moving around in there! I haven't yet figured out how to upload the video, but if I do, I'll post it. For now, here are some photos from the ultrasound, and one of me and my big belly. I can't wait to meet our precious boy. Rob and I are so, so excited.

Little Feet

Little Legs and Boy Parts

Precious Foot

3D View of Face

And, my favorite, his little profile!

A Century Ride and Baby's Kicks

2008-09-28T06:31:00.000-07:00

It was a great weekend here in Little Rock. We had two big events this weekend. First, on Friday afternoon, Rob and I were sitting on our front porch, relaxing and reading. I was resting my hand on my belly (it's a good spot for that), and I felt a kick through my belly on my hand. Up until that point, I had only felt the little kicks from inside. So, Rob placed his hand on my belly and waited....and waited...then, after a few minutes of nothing, we both quickly looked at each other in amazement. I had felt the kick from inside, and he had felt it from the outside. It was so neat. Such a great moment!

Then, on Saturday, Rob participated in his first ever century ride, the Big Dam Bridge 100. He and his friend Jeff started from North Little Rock around 7:30 AM and cycled a loop through Little Rock, Conway, Satillo, and back. Rob only got into road cycling about 2 months ago, so he hasn't been training very long. I was so proud of him for finishing, and I never imagined that he'd finish in such good time. I was at the finish line waiting for him, and he finished the whole 100 miles in 6 hours and 12 minutes. It's such a huge accomplishment, and I'm so very proud of him. Check out the photos below.

Rob is on the left in the black jersey; Jeff is on the right in red.
This pic was taken as they approached the finish line.

Here's Rob immediately after finshing. He's so happy, as you can tell.

And here's Rob and Jeff with celebratory beers.

Rob and I are pictured below. I'm SO proud of him.

18 Weeks and a New Friend

2008-09-24T11:14:00.000-07:00

I'm now 18 weeks along and really feeling our little boy move around. His little kicks and movements feel kind of like tiny bubbles popping in my abdomen. It's a very vague feeling still, but it's reassuring nonetheless. I love knowing he's being active in there.

My mom and Warren sent Baby Boy Baker his very first stuffed animal last week - a monkey! For those of you who don't know, Rob and I have been calling our little one Monkey as a nickname for a few months now. So now our little Monkey has his own monkey! It's too cute.

And here's my big 18 week belly...

My next appointment is October 10th. I'm hoping to have some fun ultrasound photos to post at that time, and maybe I'll even have a video clip of our little one! :)

It's a....

2008-09-12T09:38:00.000-07:00

Baby Boy!!!!

We had a great appointment today! I was finally within the normal range for weight gain, blood pressure good, labs good, heartbeat sounding strong, and we had a wonderful ultrasound! Our little boy was moving his little hands all around. It was so amazing when we first saw him. I had no idea the picture would be so clear.

I've posted the ultrasound pictures below. The first is the bottom shot! This shows you his two little leg bones, his rear, and his penis! It's definitely a boy! You can also see his little hand in the distance, beyond his rear end. Too funny.

The next photo shows you the side view. You can see his head on the right, his little spine along the top, and a little arm stretched up over the side of his head. We are so excited about this precious little boy. It's really so wonderfully strange that this little guy is inside of me right now!

15 Weeks

2008-09-03T08:54:00.000-07:00

OK, I'm finally caught up with the present. I just decided to start this blog, so I had a lot of filling in to do.

This pic was taken last night, and I am 15 weeks along. My work pants no longer button, and my jeans are too uncomfortable to button! I'm really getting a belly now.

I'm feeling much better these days. I haven't had any nausea in more than a week, and I'm getting some of my energy back! I talked to Bridget yesterday, and she said the same.

I have another appt next week, and we might be able to find out the gender of our little one. I can't wait to see the ultrasound. This time it will really look like a little baby.

13 Weeks and Listening to the Heartbeat.

2008-09-03T08:48:00.001-07:00

Well, here I am at 13 weeks along. Finally through the first trimester, and the nausea and exhaustion are waning.

We had another OB appt, and we were able to hear the heartbeat with the doppler. It was amazing. Everything seems to be progressing well, except I need to work harder to gain a little more weight. I lost a pound since my last visit, but it's been hard to eat a lot when I haven't been feeling well. I'm confident that I'll be feeling better now, though, and hopefully my appetite will return.

Caroline suggested that I start taking pictures every couple of weeks, wearing the same clothes, and standing in the same position. So this is the first of many I'll take in this outfit. I hope I don't outgrow the pants! It will be fun to see the progression of my ever-growing belly.

July 11, 2008 - Ultrasound and Anniversary Weekend

2008-09-03T08:33:00.001-07:00

July 7, 2008 was our one year wedding anniversary! We planned to celebrate by staying at the same cabin we got married in one year ago. But first, we had our first ultrasound. On July 11th, we went to the OB. I was at the end of my 7th week. We waited, holding our breath, until she finally saw the little heartbeat on the ultrasound screen! It was so wonderful! Just a fast little flicker on the screen, and we knew our baby was doing alright in there. Below is the ultrasound picture. We are the proud parents of a microscopic fuzzy dot, but a dot with a heartbeat! :)

The next few pics are at the cabin and at Steel Creek. This one immediately below is me, standing on the same rock where Rob and I had a wedding portrait one year ago, showing my almost 8 week belly.

Two Work Conferences and More Big News

2008-09-03T08:04:00.000-07:00

The day after we found out about our soon-to-be little one, I flew to Clearwater, Florida for the Social Marketing conference. My co-worker and friend, Emily, was there with me. We had a great time at the conference. We managed to squeeze in a Tampa Bay Devil Ray's game, and, luckily for us, they have an indoor stadium. So we only got soaked on the way in!

After that conference, I flew to Altanta for the CDC Evaluation Summer Institute. While there, I stayed with Bridget one night, and then with Lindsay 2 nights. The last night I was there, Bridget and Julie stayed with us also. It was so fun to have a little reunion with my girls! Only Caroline was missing from our group! And the really great news, Bridget is pregnant too!!! She's two weeks ahead of me. So, in the pics below you see all of us girls, and then Bridget and I showing off our very newly pregnant bellies. Bridget is 7 weeks along in this pic, and I am 5 weeks.

June 17, 2008

2008-09-03T07:58:00.001-07:00

So, it was really too early to be testing...but thanks to these new fancy tests that can detect lower levels of HCG, I was able to test before leaving for work conferences for a week. More than anything, I wanted to find out while I was home with Rob. I would have hated to tell the good news over the phone.

So, I tested the day before I had to fly to Florida, and the test was positive! I ran downstairs to tell Rob, and we were both so excited. The baby is due sometime around February 23rd, and we cannot wait!

St. John

2008-09-03T07:48:00.000-07:00

Rob and I went on a lovely 10 day vacation to St. John in May/June 2008.

St. John was so perfect. We stayed at Maho Bay Camps, a wonderful little eco-friendly camp complete with a lovely beach, friendly staff, and great vegetarian food. The little hut we stayed in was so cute, too. We did a lot of hiking, kayaking, and snorkeling, and a lot of being lazy on the beach, too. I actually finished four books while we were there! And we went snuba diving. It's like scuba, except you don't carry your oxygen tank on your back. It floats above you on a raft. It was a great trip, and shortly after we returned to Arkansas, we got some great news! : )

Why on earth do I need a blog?

2008-09-03T07:44:00.000-07:00

I don't, really. I'm sure I have nothing interesting enough to say to justify actually sharing with the whole world via blog. However, since my family and friends are so far away and spread throughout the world, and I'm here in Little Rock expecting my first baby, this is the best way to share pictures and updates with those I love.

So, here goes...