We went to the park today. It was fun. We bought bread, but Carter got too distracted to make it all the way to the ducks. He was happy watching the train, playing with pebbles and running through the water.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Willie Nilly
Carter loves Willie, our very patient and loving cat. I wish Willie could live forever. I don't know if I'll ever find another cat so fabulous as he.
Saturday, September 5, 2009
Labor Day weekend
first trip to Discovery Green
Fascinating water faucets
Fascinating fountaingrass
"I want outside!!!!"
Fascinating water faucets
Fascinating fountaingrass
"I want outside!!!!"Well I can finally breathe a sigh of relief. It seems as though Carter is going to learn to talk just fine. This week he has ammassed many new words to his vocabulary and more two word sentences. He is constantly jibber jabbering and it's so much fun to hear his little voice always working. The doctor only wanted to see 20 words by 18 months and he is well over that, so I am relieved. I guess not every baby needs to babble before learning how to talk. Hopefully I won't worry so much with the next one.
Carter is interested in "seeing" everything now. He always asks to "see" whenever we are washing dishes (meaning pick me up and let me see the sink with the bubbles in it). He loves to help organize laundry. He said quite clearly the other day, "Iwandattowel" then spent 20 more minutes pulling out every towel and saying, "datatowel" He loves pulling out the towels, requesting them, etc. Usually, he unfolds everything I've folded, but if I ask him to find his "pajamas" or look for "shirts" he will rummage through and pull them out and say "more" each time he finds something of the same category. Last night he listened to me and put away all of his "jammies" in his pajama drawer so he was actually helpful! I am excited to see this of course :)
Aside from that, he is really still into the same stuff as last week. Still infatuated with the alphabet, itsy bitsy spiders, and everything that "goes." He is under the weather this week, but he now blows his nose just fine so we don't have to use that suction thing anymore. He is drooling constantly and acts like his mouth hurts when eating rough foods so we think he's getting some more molars. Fortunately, he's eating normal portions again this week. At the beginning of the week he went a few days seriously only eating a few bites of yogurt and a banana the whole day. Even my laid back mother-in-law started to try and spoon feed him again just to try to get him to eat something. But now I mash a Flinstones vitamin up into a powder and give him that just to make sure he gets his iron and I can relax.
Carter is about 3 weeks away from getting a new brother. He loves to lift up my shirt and pat/slap my tummy. We are all getting excited. I am finally to the point where I want this baby out even though it means I won't be sleeping much. I can't sleep well anyway right now and I'm tired of all the pregnancy symptoms. I am amazed that I have typed so much today. I started this post a few days ago and after three sentences, my hands were numb from the carpal tunnel syndrome I always get in late pregnancy. Anyway, I am going to sign off and go take some pictures of Carter outside in his new little outfit.
Carter is interested in "seeing" everything now. He always asks to "see" whenever we are washing dishes (meaning pick me up and let me see the sink with the bubbles in it). He loves to help organize laundry. He said quite clearly the other day, "Iwandattowel" then spent 20 more minutes pulling out every towel and saying, "datatowel" He loves pulling out the towels, requesting them, etc. Usually, he unfolds everything I've folded, but if I ask him to find his "pajamas" or look for "shirts" he will rummage through and pull them out and say "more" each time he finds something of the same category. Last night he listened to me and put away all of his "jammies" in his pajama drawer so he was actually helpful! I am excited to see this of course :)
Aside from that, he is really still into the same stuff as last week. Still infatuated with the alphabet, itsy bitsy spiders, and everything that "goes." He is under the weather this week, but he now blows his nose just fine so we don't have to use that suction thing anymore. He is drooling constantly and acts like his mouth hurts when eating rough foods so we think he's getting some more molars. Fortunately, he's eating normal portions again this week. At the beginning of the week he went a few days seriously only eating a few bites of yogurt and a banana the whole day. Even my laid back mother-in-law started to try and spoon feed him again just to try to get him to eat something. But now I mash a Flinstones vitamin up into a powder and give him that just to make sure he gets his iron and I can relax.
Carter is about 3 weeks away from getting a new brother. He loves to lift up my shirt and pat/slap my tummy. We are all getting excited. I am finally to the point where I want this baby out even though it means I won't be sleeping much. I can't sleep well anyway right now and I'm tired of all the pregnancy symptoms. I am amazed that I have typed so much today. I started this post a few days ago and after three sentences, my hands were numb from the carpal tunnel syndrome I always get in late pregnancy. Anyway, I am going to sign off and go take some pictures of Carter outside in his new little outfit.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Paparazzi
Yes, I even follow him into the bathtub. He never gets one ounce of privacy. I tried to not reveal anything potentially embarrassing to him in the future. I hadn't taken any bathtime pictures since he was four months old. I feel like since I have been cooped up inside most of the summer due to the heat, I haven't really gotten to take pictures of Carter doing anything that he hasn't already been photographed doing. Except bathtime. I wish I could access the 4 month old bathtime shots, but they are on a disk somewhere and I'm too lazy to find them.
Carter turned 18 months old this week. He had his Dr. appointment and everything is looking good. I learned that I have to trust him to feed himself. No more feeding food to him to get him to eat more than three bites. I need to believe that he can survive off air alone. So I have been pretty good. I haven't encouraged him to eat any more than he wants to even when I feel like he hasn't eaten enough. She doesn't mind that he was in the 75th percentile weightwise when he was born and now is in the 25th, so I guess I don't need to either.
He is rapidly turning into a 2 year old. He is talking a lot more, making a ton of different sound effect noises and sometimes learning three new words in one day. He is currently working on all words with the "oo" and "ee" sound, and this week his new words are shoe, choo choo, hoot hoot, woo woo, wee! bee, pea, me, momMY, see, turtle, and knee. He loves the alphabet song and identifying the letter decals on his wall. He says almost all of them and the cutest is when he says "W." He is also sounding like he is trying to say a wide variety of two word sentences but we can't make out what he means.
He has what seems like at least 20, lay down on the floor, kick and cry temper tantrums per day. The poor guy is constantly getting things confiscated due to his creative uses of riding toys as stepping stools.
When he is not rebelling though, he is the same old sweet, loving and amusing Carter.
Some examples of how he keeps us amused:
1. He will say "wow" about 200 times in one grocery store visit. He doesn't use an indoor voice.
2. He makes the fish sound by stroking his fingers down his lips to go "blub blub" even though when water drains from the bathtub, he makes the same exact sound without using his fingers.
3. He sniffs the flowers on my flower print maternity top.
4. He runs behind a table, ducks down and hides even when he is in plain view in order to avoid getting dressed, going to bed, etc.
5. He says "hmm" whenever he opens a closet to pick what to wear and when he is trying to figure out where a puzzle piece fits.
6. He knows exactly which buttons to push to lock the car and honk its horn, to turn on the tv, dvd player and the computer, and hang up the phone mid conversation.
7. He rides the cat like a horse
8. He points to things that are against the rules and says "ah ah" as in "no no." but then breaks the rules anyway.
9. Will often go to time out corner willingly as soon as you say, "If you keep that up, you're going to time out."
Here is a list of his current favorite things
1.trucks -all
2. brushes- all (bottle, hair, tooth, etc.) He likes to drag them along the floor and sweep with them.
3. Riding toys-all
4. books about trucks- all
5. animal books
6. making animal sounds-all
7. nursery rhymes/finger plays involving tickling
8. Hide and seek
9. puzzles, shape sorting, block building , nesting/stacking cups
10. scribbling on the magnadoodle, making requests for mommy to draw the moon, bananas, milk,water, turtles and kitty cats
11. butterflies
12. bananas, sweet potato, fruit, fruit bars
13. bubbles
14. the moon
15. cats and dogs
16. his stuffed animals
17. Sleeping with lovey dog, lovey bear, santa bear, blue satin blanket, frog, Yurtle the Turtle and Horton the elephant
18. Mommy and Me nursery rhyme DVD
Friday, August 7, 2009
Our last week of summer waaaaaaaaahhh
Summer will live on for Carter, but not for Mommy. I have to go back to work next Tuesday and I am trying to relax and savor these last moments. Nevertheless, it's hard when you have three months of maternity lesson plans to make a dent in, and a major case of nesting going on where you feel this urge to start shifting Carter's nursery into the office which will eventually house both boys.
Carter is feeling no stress though fortunately. His cut is healing nicely, although he still talks about it constantly. In a desperate attempt to declutter my mind, I boxed up 2/3 of his toys and bought some bins to put the toys on a rotating system so he will continually have some novelty in his life. The house is much less cluttered and he seems to be playing longer with each toy now.
This week he finally started building blocks again. He started at 12 months stacking a couple blocks, but in spite of my encouragement, he found greater joy in knocking them all down, and that's all he did until I recently decided to run with his favorite word, "On" and tell him that I was putting the block "on" the other block. He took notice and now he likes to say "on" and "off" when attaching and detatching Duplos.
I also cleaned all the "I'm a clueless new mom books" out of my closet since I feel like an old pro now at dealing with babies. I went to Half Price to trade them in for new books for Carter. I got $40!!! That bought Carter about 8 new books. He especially loves the Scholastic On the Go book that has like every truck that exists in the entire universe in it. Since he can stare at those static trucks for several minutes saying, "Wow!" I thought he would really love me if I could show him those trucks in action. So I introduced Carter to some YouTube videos about excavators, bulldozers, dumptrucks and firetrucks. Sure enough, I am mom of the year in his book now, and I have learned a thing or two myself. For instance - a bulldozer does more than push things around, it also has a ripper that rips up dirt. Fascinating stuff. I'm on my way. Maybe Youtube can teach me football, baseball and all the other sports in easy to digest five minute videos.
Carter also loves garbage trucks. He used to be fascinated with digging through the trashcan until he mastered the words "ew" and "yuk" and now he treats the trashcan like the plague. The same thing happened with the word "hot." Once he learned that word, we identified many household dangers as "hot" so he would stay away, and he does. This worked for electrical outlets, water heaters, stoves and ovens.
Carter has really gotten into nursery rhymes too now that he's seen the animated versions of all the major ones on Youtube. He is doing the hand gestures to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands" songs.
In spite of my efforts to put off exposing Carter to tv until he is two, I have fallen victim to Desperate Housewife syndrome where I just run out of energy at some point in the day and feel the need to have a child who will sit still on the couch for thirty minutes. So we have started one show a day. Usually it's "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Thomas" or this dvd on nursery rhymes I got for free. It is freaky how drugged he looks when he watches tv. He barely talks and doesn't always dance along or move his hands along to the songs unless I physically make him, but I know it's going in there becuase if I say anything that even loosely resembles something he has seen on tv, he will go to the tv and insist on turning it on. The sad thing is, that now there is no turning back. Nothing indoors beats the tv. He asks constantly for the tv to be turned on. I wish I could take him outside more often, but I can't take this heat at any point in the day.
Anyway, that basically sums up this last week of summer. I am not looking forward to going back to work, but I take comfort knowing that I will be off again soon. I will be a sleepless zombie with my hands full of two high maintenance little guys, but I will be home again.
Carter is feeling no stress though fortunately. His cut is healing nicely, although he still talks about it constantly. In a desperate attempt to declutter my mind, I boxed up 2/3 of his toys and bought some bins to put the toys on a rotating system so he will continually have some novelty in his life. The house is much less cluttered and he seems to be playing longer with each toy now.
This week he finally started building blocks again. He started at 12 months stacking a couple blocks, but in spite of my encouragement, he found greater joy in knocking them all down, and that's all he did until I recently decided to run with his favorite word, "On" and tell him that I was putting the block "on" the other block. He took notice and now he likes to say "on" and "off" when attaching and detatching Duplos.
I also cleaned all the "I'm a clueless new mom books" out of my closet since I feel like an old pro now at dealing with babies. I went to Half Price to trade them in for new books for Carter. I got $40!!! That bought Carter about 8 new books. He especially loves the Scholastic On the Go book that has like every truck that exists in the entire universe in it. Since he can stare at those static trucks for several minutes saying, "Wow!" I thought he would really love me if I could show him those trucks in action. So I introduced Carter to some YouTube videos about excavators, bulldozers, dumptrucks and firetrucks. Sure enough, I am mom of the year in his book now, and I have learned a thing or two myself. For instance - a bulldozer does more than push things around, it also has a ripper that rips up dirt. Fascinating stuff. I'm on my way. Maybe Youtube can teach me football, baseball and all the other sports in easy to digest five minute videos.
Carter also loves garbage trucks. He used to be fascinated with digging through the trashcan until he mastered the words "ew" and "yuk" and now he treats the trashcan like the plague. The same thing happened with the word "hot." Once he learned that word, we identified many household dangers as "hot" so he would stay away, and he does. This worked for electrical outlets, water heaters, stoves and ovens.
Carter has really gotten into nursery rhymes too now that he's seen the animated versions of all the major ones on Youtube. He is doing the hand gestures to the "Itsy Bitsy Spider" and "This Is the Way We Wash Our Hands" songs.
In spite of my efforts to put off exposing Carter to tv until he is two, I have fallen victim to Desperate Housewife syndrome where I just run out of energy at some point in the day and feel the need to have a child who will sit still on the couch for thirty minutes. So we have started one show a day. Usually it's "Yo Gabba Gabba," "Thomas" or this dvd on nursery rhymes I got for free. It is freaky how drugged he looks when he watches tv. He barely talks and doesn't always dance along or move his hands along to the songs unless I physically make him, but I know it's going in there becuase if I say anything that even loosely resembles something he has seen on tv, he will go to the tv and insist on turning it on. The sad thing is, that now there is no turning back. Nothing indoors beats the tv. He asks constantly for the tv to be turned on. I wish I could take him outside more often, but I can't take this heat at any point in the day.
Anyway, that basically sums up this last week of summer. I am not looking forward to going back to work, but I take comfort knowing that I will be off again soon. I will be a sleepless zombie with my hands full of two high maintenance little guys, but I will be home again.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Carter's collision with mommy's behind
Carter peeping through the hole in his bouncer
Carter has an obsession with bananas- peels and all.
Carter enjoying sandbox time outside
Carter enjoying sandbox time outside
Well Carter is 17months now and I am proud that I have kept him alive that long. After this week, I am even more thankful for that. Carter was helping me fold laundry Monday morning and when I got up to put away some towels, he came running around the table and I accidentally bumped into him with my behind. His head fell against the edge of a shelf in the kitchen and left a small gash. I was home alone and wasn't sure what to do except stop the bleeding. Damian told me to take him to the Dr. before the emergency room and that's when I found out he needed a few stitches. He didn't have to have traditional stitches though becuase now they have some newfangled glue.
He refers to his "boo boo" many times during the day. Each time he says it with the saddest voice and a very solemn look while pointing to his forehead. He just melts my heart with his cuteness. I am just hoping that the scar fades well.
He loves hide and seek right now especially when Daddy is around. He also loves his new castle bouncer that his sweet, slightly insane father blew up with his own lungs when he couldn't find the adapter to the pump.
He is becoming more interested in faces and emotions, watching me draw familiar things like cats and fish (the only things I can draw), certain commercials on tv and climbing into toy trucks, boxes, and standing up on dangerous things such as the coffee table, his rocking horse.
He reads for longer times now and is filling in the words I leave out when I read books. My favorite book to read is, Moo Baa La La La becuase he sounds so cute making all the sounds.
This week he added the sound, "dong dong" to his vocabulary when we sing the tic tock song. He also said "boo boo," "poo poo," "ni ni" for night night and, "na na" or "bona" when referring to a bananna.
He loves to say "nana" and if it were up to him, every meal would have a banana.
He is super friendly with others. He loves to approach another person/baby, wave and lean in to kiss them. I think he is going to enjoy having another baby around even though I know it will be a big adjustment for him.
He refers to his "boo boo" many times during the day. Each time he says it with the saddest voice and a very solemn look while pointing to his forehead. He just melts my heart with his cuteness. I am just hoping that the scar fades well.
He loves hide and seek right now especially when Daddy is around. He also loves his new castle bouncer that his sweet, slightly insane father blew up with his own lungs when he couldn't find the adapter to the pump.
He is becoming more interested in faces and emotions, watching me draw familiar things like cats and fish (the only things I can draw), certain commercials on tv and climbing into toy trucks, boxes, and standing up on dangerous things such as the coffee table, his rocking horse.
He reads for longer times now and is filling in the words I leave out when I read books. My favorite book to read is, Moo Baa La La La becuase he sounds so cute making all the sounds.
This week he added the sound, "dong dong" to his vocabulary when we sing the tic tock song. He also said "boo boo," "poo poo," "ni ni" for night night and, "na na" or "bona" when referring to a bananna.
He loves to say "nana" and if it were up to him, every meal would have a banana.
He is super friendly with others. He loves to approach another person/baby, wave and lean in to kiss them. I think he is going to enjoy having another baby around even though I know it will be a big adjustment for him.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
Fourth of July 16 months and almost 2 weeks old!
My my my. My baby is turning into a boy really really fast. This week he has had a fever, but seems to be getting better now. Saturday I enjoyed a mom's day out to get a pedicure and a massage which was much enjoyed becuase I pulled something in my upper back when I picked Carter up out of his crib. Then I got home and played with Carter for the rest of the day. In the evening on the way home from Grandpop's house, we saw fireworks. Carter kept saying, "Boom boom boom." He enjoyed them, but his favorite is still a sighting of the moon.
Today he "helped" Damian in the garden. He played in his sandbox and I enjoyed misting him with water.
This was the first week where Carter started mixing longer strings of sounds into sentences that I cannot understand yet but I am excited to be hearing new sounds coming out of him. He has begun saying, "Done," "choo choo, bubba (bubbles), and "boom boom." He is also starting to say "daddy" sometimes instead of "dada." He is working on learning how to say, "oh yeah" which is what one of his musical tables says and he smiles every time he hears it.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)