Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Carter...he's a wiggler!
Carter is just a wiggly little fellow. I think he is moving around much more than Logan did in my belly. We'll see if this continues, but I do think that I feel him more than I did with Logan - randomly throughout the day, quite a bit at night and in the mornings...and I still love feeling every movement - it just makes me smile, even when it is 3am and I've gotten up to pee and I can't fall back asleep right away. I've not once feared that I hadn't felt him move around enough. We'll see if this continues and is how his personality is when he's out in the real world.
Friday, October 23, 2009
Halloween Pics
Since we are hosting Logan's 1st birthday party at our local zoo on Halloween, we thought it only fitting that for Halloween Logan should be an animal. Knowing which animal wasn't too hard considering that Logan already seems to be a climber...so he's a Monkey! My Mom has typically made her grandkids costumes, so we found a cute monkey pattern and altered it a bit to our liking. She did an excellent job, as always. Logan is the cutest monkey I have ever seen!
I took him to get his professional pictures done and while he wasn't dishing out glorious smiles like usual, we still got 2 great photos. :)
Just before we arrived to the studio, I swung by Target and bought a few bunches of bananas as a prop (which I now have a lot of banana bread to make!). You'll see in the second picture he posed with all the bananas in his full costume. In the first picture the photographer (whom I have started requesting since she always seems to have a cute idea) suggested peeling open the banana and seeing if he'll take a bite. Great idea! I peeled the banana and gave it to Logan to hold...he just looked at it....so I put it in his mouth - he took the bite and she took the cutest picture...then he threw the banana down (so it was a good thing she got the shot!). We also tried a picture of him standing, but he kind of had a blank expression on his face....although he looked SO BIG standing by himself. Here are the pictures (I took a picture of the pictures on my dining room table, so that is why there is a brown border):
I took him to get his professional pictures done and while he wasn't dishing out glorious smiles like usual, we still got 2 great photos. :)
Just before we arrived to the studio, I swung by Target and bought a few bunches of bananas as a prop (which I now have a lot of banana bread to make!). You'll see in the second picture he posed with all the bananas in his full costume. In the first picture the photographer (whom I have started requesting since she always seems to have a cute idea) suggested peeling open the banana and seeing if he'll take a bite. Great idea! I peeled the banana and gave it to Logan to hold...he just looked at it....so I put it in his mouth - he took the bite and she took the cutest picture...then he threw the banana down (so it was a good thing she got the shot!). We also tried a picture of him standing, but he kind of had a blank expression on his face....although he looked SO BIG standing by himself. Here are the pictures (I took a picture of the pictures on my dining room table, so that is why there is a brown border):
Quarantine
Whew...I haven't blogged much lately.
Starting last Monday, my family has been sick. Logan started Monday with a few sneezes, which on Tuesday turned into a crazy head cold. Then on Tuesday I coughed a few times and by the evening my throat was hoarse from coughing and I just felt 'blah'. By Wednesday...yep, it was a chest cold. Thankfully I have the runny nose and sneezing...but oy, did I cough. Everyday around 3pm it would get worse and worse and by evening I would sound terrible!
So Logan and I stayed indoors...which is just not what we do - we are very much usually out and about. Every so often Logan would grab my finger and bring me to the front door or garage door and hit the door as if to say, 'come on, let's go somewhere'. He would be sad when I'd tell him no. But I didn't want to spread our germs, nor did I want our already 'down' immune systems to pick up anything else.
Sunday we were finally feeling good enough to go out and we met up with my parents and Grandma at a restaurant so they could give Logan his Halloween costume (my Mom made it). Sunday I also found my 'approved medicine' list that I can take while pregnant and I realized that I can take Robitussin...yay! So I enjoyed a drive out to get some. By Tuesday Logan was doing so much better and I was pretty well contained so we went to the library to play. Tuesday, John started with the cold...ahhh!!! He came home early from work so he wasn't spreading germs and he worked from home Wednesday for the same reason. So finally, today, Logan is completely done, John is pretty much done and I for the most part am done....at night I still have a bit of a tickle in my throat, but nothing like it was this weekend.
Schools in the area are closing due to illnesses, including our church's school. The Swine Flu, regular flu and colds are overtaking the nation, so it seems. So we are washing our hands constantly and trying not to go to many germy places. Here's to hoping we stay healthy!!
Starting last Monday, my family has been sick. Logan started Monday with a few sneezes, which on Tuesday turned into a crazy head cold. Then on Tuesday I coughed a few times and by the evening my throat was hoarse from coughing and I just felt 'blah'. By Wednesday...yep, it was a chest cold. Thankfully I have the runny nose and sneezing...but oy, did I cough. Everyday around 3pm it would get worse and worse and by evening I would sound terrible!
So Logan and I stayed indoors...which is just not what we do - we are very much usually out and about. Every so often Logan would grab my finger and bring me to the front door or garage door and hit the door as if to say, 'come on, let's go somewhere'. He would be sad when I'd tell him no. But I didn't want to spread our germs, nor did I want our already 'down' immune systems to pick up anything else.
Sunday we were finally feeling good enough to go out and we met up with my parents and Grandma at a restaurant so they could give Logan his Halloween costume (my Mom made it). Sunday I also found my 'approved medicine' list that I can take while pregnant and I realized that I can take Robitussin...yay! So I enjoyed a drive out to get some. By Tuesday Logan was doing so much better and I was pretty well contained so we went to the library to play. Tuesday, John started with the cold...ahhh!!! He came home early from work so he wasn't spreading germs and he worked from home Wednesday for the same reason. So finally, today, Logan is completely done, John is pretty much done and I for the most part am done....at night I still have a bit of a tickle in my throat, but nothing like it was this weekend.
Schools in the area are closing due to illnesses, including our church's school. The Swine Flu, regular flu and colds are overtaking the nation, so it seems. So we are washing our hands constantly and trying not to go to many germy places. Here's to hoping we stay healthy!!
Thursday, October 22, 2009
Pre Birthday Celebrations
Logan's 1st birthday party was on Halloween (just 5 days before his 'real' birthday). Unfortunately a few of our good friends couldn't make it, but they were so kind to throw him a special one-on-one birthday party. We have such thoughtful friends. :)
Kathy and Maddie accompanied Logan and I to the zoo to do a 'dry run' of his birthday party about a week and a half ago before the 'real' thing. They brought Logan's birthday present to the zoo. Here are some pics:
Maddie giving Logan his gift:
Logan opening his gift:
Logan and Maddie staring at the fishies...
Logan and Maddie sitting next to a 1300 pound real pumpkin
Our next pre-birthday celebration occurred with Cassie & Erin. We were actually celebrating Erin's 3rd birthday from earlier in October as well.
Logan opening one of his gifts:
Maracas!!! Ole!
We even sang Happy Birthday and ate a cupcake!
Yay!!!!!
Friday, October 16, 2009
Wednesday, October 7, 2009
More Steps
Tonight after dinner Logan was in the walking mood and we try to take advantage of it as much as we can. The last few nights he will allow us 2 'runs' each inbetween John and I and then he gets frustrated with us making him practice walking and he turns to jello. We don't want to push it since he is taking big steps towards walking, but we are just so darn excited when he does it.
So again, tonight he was in the mood...so we took advantage. We try to hold a toy (in our mouths as it is eye level for him and he keeps his balance more) and lure him to us...tonight it was his small caterpillar/rattle/teether. We started out by making him take 4 steps...he did great. Then Buddy laid down in the middle of our path...so he got sent outside, which he enjoyed and we enjoyed the distraction being gone for a bit. :) Soon after Logan was at 10 steps (his max to date). The cool thing was is that 90% of the time his steps were soooo steady - and he would even stop inbetween to stand and then keep on walking. One time he even was babbling something to me while walking - what a multi-tasker!
Logan was walking in his socks, but on the alphabet foam mat in our family room as it is slippery on the hardwood floor (his socks didn't have any grippers on them). So in order to maximize his walking, we took our symmetrical mat apart and made it like a long runway...slowly he did 13 steps....then 17.....then finally 19 steps!!!!!! All steady! If I would've had more room to scoot back, he could've kept going.
So now that he can walk pretty far once coaxed, we just have to get him to leave furniture and come to us (he did do this to John tonight and once or twice before....but not a lot). He also will stand in you leave him and while he's walking, but if he's leaning on a couch or something, he is not as apt to let go and just stand. I read in my baby book that I took my first steps before I stood, which at the time I thought was odd...but now I see that it can be done.
Anyway, way to go Logan! I did catch a video of him doing 10 steps - I will try to post it later. :)
So again, tonight he was in the mood...so we took advantage. We try to hold a toy (in our mouths as it is eye level for him and he keeps his balance more) and lure him to us...tonight it was his small caterpillar/rattle/teether. We started out by making him take 4 steps...he did great. Then Buddy laid down in the middle of our path...so he got sent outside, which he enjoyed and we enjoyed the distraction being gone for a bit. :) Soon after Logan was at 10 steps (his max to date). The cool thing was is that 90% of the time his steps were soooo steady - and he would even stop inbetween to stand and then keep on walking. One time he even was babbling something to me while walking - what a multi-tasker!
Logan was walking in his socks, but on the alphabet foam mat in our family room as it is slippery on the hardwood floor (his socks didn't have any grippers on them). So in order to maximize his walking, we took our symmetrical mat apart and made it like a long runway...slowly he did 13 steps....then 17.....then finally 19 steps!!!!!! All steady! If I would've had more room to scoot back, he could've kept going.
So now that he can walk pretty far once coaxed, we just have to get him to leave furniture and come to us (he did do this to John tonight and once or twice before....but not a lot). He also will stand in you leave him and while he's walking, but if he's leaning on a couch or something, he is not as apt to let go and just stand. I read in my baby book that I took my first steps before I stood, which at the time I thought was odd...but now I see that it can be done.
Anyway, way to go Logan! I did catch a video of him doing 10 steps - I will try to post it later. :)
Saturday, October 3, 2009
Apple Picking Pictures
Logan picking his 1st apple...
Logan and Maddie picking apples together. Doesn't it look like he's holding down the branch for her to pick? So chivalrous!
Placing his apple carefully in the bag (later he just took to dropping them or tossing them as soon as it got in his hand).
Logan and Mommy
Feeding the goats
Hello Mr. Sheep!
Playing around on the playground....
And on the benches...so much to explore!
It is funny that they are in the same exact pose...
Sign for Milk
So quite a while back (funny to say that when referring to Logan's life) I started teaching him sign language - simple things like milk, eat and more. When I saw that I wasn't really getting anywhere, I put it on hold. Then I saw my friend Kathy's daughter sign for milk and eat when she was thirsty and hungry. She is 3.5 months older than Logan - so I thought if I just perservere, perhaps he'll get it. I've heard that children can communicate earlier (than talking) by telling you what they want with sign language. It eases the frustration of the child and parent more when they both can tell and understand the other.
So I started practicing milk, eat and more at each meal...there are times I would forget, but I tried. I would show him his milk in the bottle, say milk and do the sign - several times. After about another month or two....last week, he open and closed his hand (like waving hi except with his hand turned sideways). His milk was just out of reach and as soon as I gave it to him he took a big drink. (Sometimes when it is out of his reach and I give it to him he pushes it away, so it was cool to know that that is what he wanted.) The next day he was in his seat and as I was making his bottle, he did the sign. Yay! It looks like he actually has 'milk' down. He doesn't do it all the time, but as long as we're making progress, I will keep on going.
When we were at the library for storytime his friend Maddie did the sign for milk. Kathy said oh it looks like she wants her milk. The teacher was so excited for Maddie - as she has been teaching us a new sign each week in class and was glad to see that some of the babies were picking up on it (although Kathy had been working with Maddie prior to the class). I was commenting on how great it was that Maddie did the sign and the teacher said well did you just see what your son did? Apparently when Kathy said the word 'milk', he did the sign for it. She was amazed at this as well - since he has voice recognition to the sign. I too was amazed as I hadn't seen that part of it, nor knew that the voice recognition to the word was a big step. Yay for Logan!!
Now I need to learn some other signs and get to work on those. Lately we have been working on (still eat and more), ball, book and water. It will be really cool if he does pick up on it.
So I started practicing milk, eat and more at each meal...there are times I would forget, but I tried. I would show him his milk in the bottle, say milk and do the sign - several times. After about another month or two....last week, he open and closed his hand (like waving hi except with his hand turned sideways). His milk was just out of reach and as soon as I gave it to him he took a big drink. (Sometimes when it is out of his reach and I give it to him he pushes it away, so it was cool to know that that is what he wanted.) The next day he was in his seat and as I was making his bottle, he did the sign. Yay! It looks like he actually has 'milk' down. He doesn't do it all the time, but as long as we're making progress, I will keep on going.
When we were at the library for storytime his friend Maddie did the sign for milk. Kathy said oh it looks like she wants her milk. The teacher was so excited for Maddie - as she has been teaching us a new sign each week in class and was glad to see that some of the babies were picking up on it (although Kathy had been working with Maddie prior to the class). I was commenting on how great it was that Maddie did the sign and the teacher said well did you just see what your son did? Apparently when Kathy said the word 'milk', he did the sign for it. She was amazed at this as well - since he has voice recognition to the sign. I too was amazed as I hadn't seen that part of it, nor knew that the voice recognition to the word was a big step. Yay for Logan!!
Now I need to learn some other signs and get to work on those. Lately we have been working on (still eat and more), ball, book and water. It will be really cool if he does pick up on it.
Monday, September 28, 2009
A little tantrum
Lately Logan has taken to having small tantrums. If I remove him from a place he shouln't be (i.e. the dog's water bowl, the laundry room which he likes to play with the knobs on the hot water heater or hit the furnace cover during the 1-2 minutes that I am throwing in the laundry) he tends to throw himself on the floor and kick and cry...or at least try to cry. It is not all the time, but mostly when he is tired.
Today as he was lightly thrashing on the floor as John and I were laughing at his behavior, I realized it was 8:30, not 7:30 - no wonder! The poor kid was way past his bedtime....I'd be cranky too. Tonight was a bath night though - since he was already a night 'overdue', I didn't want to forgo it - mainly his hair needs it...it is super long. So we started our ritual.
John was drying him off with the towel, but said that the towel was too small, so we diapered him and he decided to run Logan around to air dry him. It was hilarious and Logan laughed the whole time! John walks very fast and holds both of Logan's hands...Logan moves his legs as if he is running. When it came time to put his pajamas on though...he was none too happy! He wiggled and screamed (in a sort of deep voice) and tried to get away. It was quite humorous. As soon as we finished, he immediately grabbed for John's hands to take him running again. They did this a couple of times, but before pj's, Logan would run into his room where I was sitting. After the pajama 'episode' he would run around, but make John turn him around before he got to his bedroom door....where "Mom the fun ruiner was sitting". :) I had John then read him a story before bed instead of me tonight (we do alternate), so I wouln't be ruining his fun again. :)
Oh too cute....for now....
Today as he was lightly thrashing on the floor as John and I were laughing at his behavior, I realized it was 8:30, not 7:30 - no wonder! The poor kid was way past his bedtime....I'd be cranky too. Tonight was a bath night though - since he was already a night 'overdue', I didn't want to forgo it - mainly his hair needs it...it is super long. So we started our ritual.
John was drying him off with the towel, but said that the towel was too small, so we diapered him and he decided to run Logan around to air dry him. It was hilarious and Logan laughed the whole time! John walks very fast and holds both of Logan's hands...Logan moves his legs as if he is running. When it came time to put his pajamas on though...he was none too happy! He wiggled and screamed (in a sort of deep voice) and tried to get away. It was quite humorous. As soon as we finished, he immediately grabbed for John's hands to take him running again. They did this a couple of times, but before pj's, Logan would run into his room where I was sitting. After the pajama 'episode' he would run around, but make John turn him around before he got to his bedroom door....where "Mom the fun ruiner was sitting". :) I had John then read him a story before bed instead of me tonight (we do alternate), so I wouln't be ruining his fun again. :)
Oh too cute....for now....
Saturday, September 26, 2009
Belly Shot - 21 Weeks
This was taken late tonight...so pardon the hairdo and look of tired - although I tried to be as peppy as possible!
Walking Update
We have been practicing walking ever since Tuesday when Logan took his first steps. Each day he seems to get better, but still does quite a bit of 'walking to a fall'. Today he did really well. We were practicing walking barefoot (this is supposedly better than with shoes, but at fist the shoes seem to stabilize him a bit more).
Logan took an average of 5-6 steps between John and I and they were almost all 'steady' steps. The last step always seems to be a fall into one of us, but he did great. At one point he even walked from me to his toy, which he had to turn a little to the left and he was steady the 5 steps until he got there. Then from his horse, I steadied him and he walked TEN steps to me - all very steady. In some of his other stretches he would even stop once or twice and stand for a second then keep going. He is doing so great!!! I bet now we'll be able to catch it on video.
We've also been praticing just standing. We stack up his toy cups and stand him in front of them, then let go. John holds the cups and Logan takes them off one by one...so a good 10 second stand. He even corrects his balance if he's starting to lean.
Go Logan Go!
Logan took an average of 5-6 steps between John and I and they were almost all 'steady' steps. The last step always seems to be a fall into one of us, but he did great. At one point he even walked from me to his toy, which he had to turn a little to the left and he was steady the 5 steps until he got there. Then from his horse, I steadied him and he walked TEN steps to me - all very steady. In some of his other stretches he would even stop once or twice and stand for a second then keep going. He is doing so great!!! I bet now we'll be able to catch it on video.
We've also been praticing just standing. We stack up his toy cups and stand him in front of them, then let go. John holds the cups and Logan takes them off one by one...so a good 10 second stand. He even corrects his balance if he's starting to lean.
Go Logan Go!
Apple Picking
Thursday, my friend Kathy and I took Logan and Maddie apple picking with a couple other Moms from our mom group. It was over an hour away, but so much fun!
We picked some apples for baking and some for eating. The trees were nice and low so Logan and Maddie could really help out. Once Maddie had 2 apples in her hand though she just frolicked along. Logan was happy sitting and watching Maddie. :) We showed them how to pick apples and they did their best. They both enjoyed tossing the apples in the bag. After a while Logan just enjoyed throwing the apples.
We finished picking apples and taking a ton of pictures...and had a picnic. After that we fed some goats and sheep at their petting zoo.
Then we let the kids play, play, play...this place had little houses and wooden/plastic trucks, trains and slides for kids to climb on. It seemed that as soon as they started playing most of the other kids that were there had to leave...perfect - so Logan and Maddie had the play area to themselves! We wandered over to feed the animals again and play on some benches - oh they are just so cute!
We swung by the giftshop on the way out for some of the best Apple Cider Donuts ever! So yum! We all had such a great time!
We picked some apples for baking and some for eating. The trees were nice and low so Logan and Maddie could really help out. Once Maddie had 2 apples in her hand though she just frolicked along. Logan was happy sitting and watching Maddie. :) We showed them how to pick apples and they did their best. They both enjoyed tossing the apples in the bag. After a while Logan just enjoyed throwing the apples.
We finished picking apples and taking a ton of pictures...and had a picnic. After that we fed some goats and sheep at their petting zoo.
Then we let the kids play, play, play...this place had little houses and wooden/plastic trucks, trains and slides for kids to climb on. It seemed that as soon as they started playing most of the other kids that were there had to leave...perfect - so Logan and Maddie had the play area to themselves! We wandered over to feed the animals again and play on some benches - oh they are just so cute!
We swung by the giftshop on the way out for some of the best Apple Cider Donuts ever! So yum! We all had such a great time!
Baby Boy has a Name
Baby Boy Battermann #2 will no longer be referred to as such. His name will 'most likely' be CARTER. The middle name is still under construction - we are deciding between 2 names (both family ties). We say 'most likely' as it is the front runner name. Granted, there really isn't a strong 2nd choice, but we will keep our options open. However, that being said, we said the same thing about Logan and we stuck with it because it grew on us like crazy!
Not sure where the name Carter definitely came from....I've heard it mentioned a couple times before and for some reason when we heard it was a boy that was the first name that came to mind. John initially turned it down as between some friends we know a Connor, Casey and Carson. So John thought it would be confusing and he would call our son a conglomeration of names...which admittedly he has done just once or twice (Carston) - but now I believe he has it down.
Carter started kicking me a lot more when he had a name. I think he knew it bothered me for him to be referred to as 'Baby Boy'. In fact, Carter is kicking me now - I just LOVE this feeling. :)
So there you have it...Logan and Carter. I love it!
Not sure where the name Carter definitely came from....I've heard it mentioned a couple times before and for some reason when we heard it was a boy that was the first name that came to mind. John initially turned it down as between some friends we know a Connor, Casey and Carson. So John thought it would be confusing and he would call our son a conglomeration of names...which admittedly he has done just once or twice (Carston) - but now I believe he has it down.
Carter started kicking me a lot more when he had a name. I think he knew it bothered me for him to be referred to as 'Baby Boy'. In fact, Carter is kicking me now - I just LOVE this feeling. :)
So there you have it...Logan and Carter. I love it!
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