This past weekend had nothing on the calendar. We were going to continue to work on projects for the house, do our taxes and stay home. Then I learned that our niece, Brittany was going to be playing possibly her last basketball game of her career. She is in a junior college and this is her last year. She's been playing for gosh, so long, and is very good. So after talking to John, we wanted to go and cheer her on! It would be a perfect event for the boys, as they can be loud and it is a.o.k. :) It also was in the Milwaukee-area, so it wasn't too far of a drive to go there and back. It was in the afternoon, so how perfect that during our drive there would be during the boys naps. They'd be refreshed and ready to go and then we'd have a nice dinner with John's brother, Andy, Brittany and adorable little Myella...then head on home - which was convenient since it would be their bedtime. So to prep for this, I packed their pajamas. We also dressed in their school colors to show our support. Things were going great. We got some projects done in the morning, the boys were nice and tired. Okay, that all sounds great....almost too great.
The car ride starts - Carter is asleep by the time we are at the bottom of the driveway. Great! We stopped to get Wendy's to get some lunch. Within 15 minutes, Logan fell asleep while finishing his 2nd chicken nugget. Good! It was a little snowy, but the roads were good and we were on our way to being on-time (which we were). Lovely. 30 minutes into the ride, during a stretch of our drive that is at stoplights, Carter stirs when I stop at a light. Problem is when Carter stirred, his bright blue eyes just popped right open and that. was. it.
He wasn't pleased almost from the get-go. As I do most of the driving (I have trouble turning around a lot to help the kids when I'm the passenger and John isn't a huge fan of driving), John did everything to try and calm this kid down. We tried his blanket, taking off his socks, putting on a movie, feeding him 2 chicken nuggets, giving him some milk, playing peek-a-boo, shush'ing him, feeding him a pb&j, which as you can imagine went horribly wrong, feeding him crackers, you name it. The poor little bugger cried and often screamed during this trip. He eventually woke up Logan, who woke up crying for milk of which we didn't have, just the lovely, boring water. Luckily Logan calmed down quickly and we had only 15 minutes to our destination....where a Grandma, Godmothers, Aunts and cousins awaited these two lovely boys.
Really, during the game, the boys were pretty good. At times they were a little clingy to us, but after Aunt Kaye busted out candy for Logan and Grandma bought him some popcorn, he was pretty appeased. He clapped when the crowd cheered and had a good time. Carter was busy, going from person to person, crawling on the bleachers...sometimes a little too far, where he started climbing on this guy, using his butt. Um, sorry there college student. :) But Carter too enjoyed himself. It was nice and Brittany played very well...and they won!!! It was very exciting.
We said goodbye to most of the famil then left for a restaurant and Carter fell asleep - good, even a 15 minute nap will do him good. We ended up at TGIF. While it is nice to go to a nice sit down restaurant, doing it with a one and two year old can prove to be exhausting. We only had about a 20 minute wait, which we hung out in the bar area (yes, with our children) and they were well behaved. We then were escorted to our huge semi-circle booth, which sat about a foot and a half above the rest of the section seating - so we were kind of on display....like the head table at a wedding. We felt like entertainment and we didn't disappoint.
Our waiter came to the table to get a drink order. We ordered and also asked for a booster seat for Carter. The reason why became apparent within the next few seconds where Carter, while standing on the booth at the table, slipped and banged his lip. Blood-curdling screams ensued, heads flipped around to stare and I tried to laugh off this moment while trying to console my almost now hyperventilating child. Naturally, this didn't go well so within 30 seconds, I scooted my way out of the booth (naturally, Carter and I were in the back). Scoot, scoot, scoot. While scooting, I noticed that he was bleeding. Of course. So I scooted faster and tossed out an apology to all the people staring and bolted to the bathroom. As soon as I was walking away, Carter stopped his hyperventilating. I was able to clean him off in the bathroom. It wasn't a terrible amount of blood, but he did cut the inside of his lip and the outside of his lip. Okay...
So we went back to the table and he was okay, while we kept feeding him a snack. We ordered our meal which seemed to take a while to come. Why can't places learn to bring out the kids meal as soon as its ready? I'm sure the mac n cheese is in a vat that can easily be scooped out and heated up. I digress. They ate well. Sometimes at dinner I feel like an octopus. Since Carter was in a booster, I held onto his seat (it was leaning forward and I didn't want him to fall a second time) with one hand and ate with the other, while spooning some mac n cheese to Carter. He kept wanting to do it himself, but he gets way too messy, so I had to be on-guard and fast. It came with a side of mandarin oranges, which are Carter's favorite so he just chowed down. During octopus like moments, we did our best to carry on a conversation with Andy & Brittany, while they tended to their quiet and low-maintenance 4.5 month old baby. :) I was thankful that she did join in the craziness by crying for a few minutes while trying to fall asleep in a noisy restaurant. Thanks Myella. :) I also think during this time we secured Andy & Brittany's thoughts of not having a second child 'right' away. :)
The check came, coats went on, we got in the van. Keep in mind, we still needed to change the kids into pj's. I thought (and was correct) that this would be way easier in the van than a restaurant bathroom. Thankfully we still had our back seats down so I climbed back there and changed one child, then the other (love my van). Okay, breathe....all is okay.
I don't think I've mentioned that is was snowing like CRAZY up in WI...it just didn't stop!!! Which of course, made the roads, not so fantastic. Then boys both fell asleep within minutes....ah, peace and quiet. Then...yes...Carter woke up about 30ish minutes later. Cried, screamed pretty much the whole. way. home. The roads were bad, we were driving slow and hearing a screaming kid. John after going through the gammot of things to appease Carter, finally said, okay, I just need to stop trying for a moment and take a breather. And wouldn't you know, Carter took his queue and started quieting down? He still had moments of whining, but within 20 minutes, he fell asleep. Hallelujah!!!
We got home and successfully transferred both boys to their beds. Ahh....
To make up for it, Carter slept in until 10am, napped well and just wanted to cuddle all day. I really think part of it was a teething issue (he still only has 4 teeth and I feel some top ones coming in). But I hope this isn't the case on a car-ride as we have a long roadtrip ahead of us soon and I need them both to love the car!! Typically they are fine, just go figure that he has a rough time during a 2 hours drive.
All in all, we were able to see Brittany's last winning game...And hang out with family that we don't get to see too often. Despite the screams and the incident at the restaurant, we had a nice family day. :)
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Mid-Feb
This month is already going by quickly!
In the past couple weeks, Carter has been rocking a 5 hour nap! He has also been sleeping anywhere between 12-14 hours at night! Sometimes he wakes up around 9, has breakfast, plays, has a snack (sometimes), naps from 12:30 - 5:30, has dinner then goes to bed between 7:30-8ish. Holy smackerel! That is a lot of sleeping. I am not complaining; I know it won't last forever and boy have I been able to accomplish a lot of projects during that naptime! Logan has sleeps about 10-11 hours (sometimes...) and naps about 3-3.5 hours....so still pretty awesome! At least when he is awake, he plays very well by himself, so I'm still able to get projects done. My kids rock!
We just got over yet another cold....and yes, while I wipe noses all the live, long day, I have to say that many of my friends have been battling with the flu and fevers and puking in their households....so, I'll take a snotty nose. :) We've also been getting back in the swing of things with library storytime. We had about 6 weeks off...which was a LONG time off from that routine. The first couple times back were a bit brutal. Carter wants nothing more than to crawl around (which is fine in baby storytime, but when he is a guest at toddler storytime, those kids are being taught to sit and listen). Plus when Carter starts getting antsy, Logan thinks he can too. So you can imagine in our half hour timeslot, how much time I spend chasing kids and get them to be quiet. Now granted, we spend quite a bit of that time getting settled in, singing songs and doing a craft...but for the 2-3 books that are read, it can be tricky with two little ones.
On that note, I've started implementing time outs more often as an effort to help control behavior and help *them* understand right behavior from wrong. I say them as them loosely; Carter does not get put in time out, but does test my limits more and more....stinker! Carter will stand on the couch and hit the blinds; I will tell him 'no touch' or 'no thank you' and he'll look right at me and do it again. When he is taken off the couch - watch out! The kid is mad!!! Logan's time-outs are more about not listening. We've also implemented counting to 3 in order for him to get 'motivated' to do said activity. This is working. I have gotten to 3, then he gets a time-out. Some days are fantastic and other days, he sees the time-out spot a couple times during the day. All in all, they're great kids.
At the library the other day, Logan was all hugs to Carter - showing everybody just how sweet he is. Later at home, he head-butted Carter....nice.
Logan has asked to sit on the potty a couple times. He hasn't done anything in there lately, but sitting there is a step in the right direction. We still 'flush' the majority of his poopy diapers, so that is another good step. Speaking of 'potty'...at the kitchen table the other day, Logan farted. He bursts out laughing and says 'I Faa-ted, I faa-ted'. I then giggled myself and told him to say excuse me...and he did.
Logan will also bump into somebody and say 'oh, sorry'. Too funny - I love his little mannerisms.
Carter walks smoothly even while holding just one hand; but the second we try to let go, he crumbles to the floor.
Today Logan had the big dump truck and asked for Buddy to come in from outside, so I let him in. Then Logan chased Buddy around the downstairs with the dumptruck - laughing hysterically. Finally Buddy went up onto the landing; so Logan went up too and coaxed Buddy to come back down...then chased him some more. Poor dog, but he loved the attention. :)
Our boys are such cuties!!
In the past couple weeks, Carter has been rocking a 5 hour nap! He has also been sleeping anywhere between 12-14 hours at night! Sometimes he wakes up around 9, has breakfast, plays, has a snack (sometimes), naps from 12:30 - 5:30, has dinner then goes to bed between 7:30-8ish. Holy smackerel! That is a lot of sleeping. I am not complaining; I know it won't last forever and boy have I been able to accomplish a lot of projects during that naptime! Logan has sleeps about 10-11 hours (sometimes...) and naps about 3-3.5 hours....so still pretty awesome! At least when he is awake, he plays very well by himself, so I'm still able to get projects done. My kids rock!
We just got over yet another cold....and yes, while I wipe noses all the live, long day, I have to say that many of my friends have been battling with the flu and fevers and puking in their households....so, I'll take a snotty nose. :) We've also been getting back in the swing of things with library storytime. We had about 6 weeks off...which was a LONG time off from that routine. The first couple times back were a bit brutal. Carter wants nothing more than to crawl around (which is fine in baby storytime, but when he is a guest at toddler storytime, those kids are being taught to sit and listen). Plus when Carter starts getting antsy, Logan thinks he can too. So you can imagine in our half hour timeslot, how much time I spend chasing kids and get them to be quiet. Now granted, we spend quite a bit of that time getting settled in, singing songs and doing a craft...but for the 2-3 books that are read, it can be tricky with two little ones.
On that note, I've started implementing time outs more often as an effort to help control behavior and help *them* understand right behavior from wrong. I say them as them loosely; Carter does not get put in time out, but does test my limits more and more....stinker! Carter will stand on the couch and hit the blinds; I will tell him 'no touch' or 'no thank you' and he'll look right at me and do it again. When he is taken off the couch - watch out! The kid is mad!!! Logan's time-outs are more about not listening. We've also implemented counting to 3 in order for him to get 'motivated' to do said activity. This is working. I have gotten to 3, then he gets a time-out. Some days are fantastic and other days, he sees the time-out spot a couple times during the day. All in all, they're great kids.
At the library the other day, Logan was all hugs to Carter - showing everybody just how sweet he is. Later at home, he head-butted Carter....nice.
Logan has asked to sit on the potty a couple times. He hasn't done anything in there lately, but sitting there is a step in the right direction. We still 'flush' the majority of his poopy diapers, so that is another good step. Speaking of 'potty'...at the kitchen table the other day, Logan farted. He bursts out laughing and says 'I Faa-ted, I faa-ted'. I then giggled myself and told him to say excuse me...and he did.
Logan will also bump into somebody and say 'oh, sorry'. Too funny - I love his little mannerisms.
Carter walks smoothly even while holding just one hand; but the second we try to let go, he crumbles to the floor.
Today Logan had the big dump truck and asked for Buddy to come in from outside, so I let him in. Then Logan chased Buddy around the downstairs with the dumptruck - laughing hysterically. Finally Buddy went up onto the landing; so Logan went up too and coaxed Buddy to come back down...then chased him some more. Poor dog, but he loved the attention. :)
Our boys are such cuties!!
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Carter turns 1!!
Oh it happened - my little baby Carter turned one!!!
So at the fine ol' age of one, my little Carter crawls around like nobody's business, pulls himself up to standing and every so often lets go for a second or two, walks around furniture, claps, smiles like crazy, laughs at his big brother, says 'uh-oh', cheese (when he sees his toy camera), has said 'hot', eats like CRAZY!!! Carter is a pickle when it comes to changing his diaper - he wiggles like crazy - he is either interested in what his brother is doing or just is plain distracted....and if you try to hold him down - oh man, he gets super mad! A funny thing is when I change his diaper he almost always pretends like he's running - it's so cute! Okay enough embarrassing things. Carter loves bathtime - he mostly likes to splash, which annoys Logan as Logan doesn't enjoy getting splashed. But Carter laughs about it. He also enjoys crawling around the tub and every so often he puts his face in and then looks surprised and laughs.
Carter seriously eats pretty much anything...accept for carrots - it's like he 'knows' they are good for you. I breastfed Carter solely until 9months...then John and I went away to Hawaii and it seemed as good a time as any to wean him. He was then on formula until I switched Carter to whole milk and a sippy cup around 10.5 months. It is just much easier and he gets plenty of nutrients.
Carter currently sleeps about 12 hours - oh fabulous! He's goes down around 8 and wakes up around 8-8:30. I can remember one time in the past 9 months when he woke up in the middle of the night. Even while meeting milestones, he does not wake up. He does have a tricky time falling asleep at other people's houses although lately he's done well at my moms and my mother-in-laws!
Carter is definitely going through a separation anxiety stage...even in the house. If I leave the room and he's not occuppied enough, he screams and cries after me. As soon as I pick him up, poof - all better!
Carter currently has 4 teeth and they are just the cutest ever! Two top; two bottom. I think there are a couple more on their way...but nothing yet. As far as teething is concerned, he's got the typical drool, but he isn't extra miserable (yet).
Carter is so daring! He still does not turn around to go down the stairs - he does fine with stairs once he gets going, but turning around at the top - not so much. He crawls up to the top of the stairs and yells. Logan has even tried helping and showing Carter how to do it, Carter doesn't care. :) He freaks me out everytime he is up there because he'll take a toy and throw it onto the step below and then lean over on his belly to check it out. Not cool, Carter - not cool.
A funny tantrum that Carter does of late is what I call a modified seal tantrum (I'm taking a pilates class, perhaps that is where my lingo comes from). Anyway, he'll be crawling along and then get so mad he'll push up on his hands, throw his head back and yell. Oh, it is funny! He has also perfected the fake cry and adds a lip quiver to it - it makes it sound like he's cold...but he's not...although it does wrap me around his finger a bit because it is soooo cute.
Carter remains to be a thumb sucker and loves stuffed animals. As soon as he sees one, he grabs it and puts his right thumb into his mouth - just so cute.
There are too many cute things that he does to name them all, but I will do my best to come back here and add them. :)
We love our Carter so much and he's brought even more joy to our lives.
So at the fine ol' age of one, my little Carter crawls around like nobody's business, pulls himself up to standing and every so often lets go for a second or two, walks around furniture, claps, smiles like crazy, laughs at his big brother, says 'uh-oh', cheese (when he sees his toy camera), has said 'hot', eats like CRAZY!!! Carter is a pickle when it comes to changing his diaper - he wiggles like crazy - he is either interested in what his brother is doing or just is plain distracted....and if you try to hold him down - oh man, he gets super mad! A funny thing is when I change his diaper he almost always pretends like he's running - it's so cute! Okay enough embarrassing things. Carter loves bathtime - he mostly likes to splash, which annoys Logan as Logan doesn't enjoy getting splashed. But Carter laughs about it. He also enjoys crawling around the tub and every so often he puts his face in and then looks surprised and laughs.
Carter seriously eats pretty much anything...accept for carrots - it's like he 'knows' they are good for you. I breastfed Carter solely until 9months...then John and I went away to Hawaii and it seemed as good a time as any to wean him. He was then on formula until I switched Carter to whole milk and a sippy cup around 10.5 months. It is just much easier and he gets plenty of nutrients.
Carter currently sleeps about 12 hours - oh fabulous! He's goes down around 8 and wakes up around 8-8:30. I can remember one time in the past 9 months when he woke up in the middle of the night. Even while meeting milestones, he does not wake up. He does have a tricky time falling asleep at other people's houses although lately he's done well at my moms and my mother-in-laws!
Carter is definitely going through a separation anxiety stage...even in the house. If I leave the room and he's not occuppied enough, he screams and cries after me. As soon as I pick him up, poof - all better!
Carter currently has 4 teeth and they are just the cutest ever! Two top; two bottom. I think there are a couple more on their way...but nothing yet. As far as teething is concerned, he's got the typical drool, but he isn't extra miserable (yet).
Carter is so daring! He still does not turn around to go down the stairs - he does fine with stairs once he gets going, but turning around at the top - not so much. He crawls up to the top of the stairs and yells. Logan has even tried helping and showing Carter how to do it, Carter doesn't care. :) He freaks me out everytime he is up there because he'll take a toy and throw it onto the step below and then lean over on his belly to check it out. Not cool, Carter - not cool.
A funny tantrum that Carter does of late is what I call a modified seal tantrum (I'm taking a pilates class, perhaps that is where my lingo comes from). Anyway, he'll be crawling along and then get so mad he'll push up on his hands, throw his head back and yell. Oh, it is funny! He has also perfected the fake cry and adds a lip quiver to it - it makes it sound like he's cold...but he's not...although it does wrap me around his finger a bit because it is soooo cute.
Carter remains to be a thumb sucker and loves stuffed animals. As soon as he sees one, he grabs it and puts his right thumb into his mouth - just so cute.
There are too many cute things that he does to name them all, but I will do my best to come back here and add them. :)
We love our Carter so much and he's brought even more joy to our lives.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Carter's First Word!!!
While Carter sported the infamous 'uh-oh' for the past week....he has spoken a real world...cheese!! And go figure that he said it when he saw his toy camera in the bathtub!! I didn't even say 'say cheese' this time...since I wasn't the one holding the camera....but clearly I take a lot of pictures of them and constantly say 'say cheese'!!
So at 10.5 months, Carter has spoken his first official word!!!! Hooray for the start of communicating through words. :)
So at 10.5 months, Carter has spoken his first official word!!!! Hooray for the start of communicating through words. :)
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Logan's 2 year well visit
Logan had his 2 year well visit and I just don't think it could have gone better. :) As a start here are his stats:
The doctor came in and Logan even spoke for him, which the doctor said that sometimes 2 year olds don't do because they are shy and apprehensive about the visit. I think because Logan was just at the doctor for Carter a couple weeks ago, he was more comfortable. Who knows.
So, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth were checked. Breathing too - he was a champ - no problems. Then the doctor left and the nurse came in for the shots....I was prepared for this to go badly as he is now more aware of what is going to happen. He laid down and I held his arms. Shot one done (thank goodness the shots go so quickly)...his looked changed, but no tears. Shot two done. Still no tears! What a brave and tough guy!!! I had talked up the doctor's visit the day before and day of...who knows if that is what worked or not, but I'll take it!
Logan is such an amazing kid. Not only is he uber-adorable, but he is such a laid-back fun kid. He plays so well by himself and well with others too. He likes to laugh, give big hugs and kisses. At night I always do his bedtime routine and he gives hugs and kisses to John then I pick him up and we both say 'I love you' to Daddy and flash him the I love you 'sign'. Since Logan can't quite master putting his 2 middle fingers down and all the others up, he just puts all 5 fingers out - stiff as a board. It is very cute.
He runs around - he sometimes even starts by pulling one knee up and cranking back his arm and makes a Vroom sound! He is talking a lot more and understands a lot!
He loves his brother and always seems concerned if Carter has left the room without him saying good-bye. "Where's Carter"? And the hands go up and he proceeds to look around. Very cute. On the other hand, poor Carter does get slugged from time to time, in which case Logan goes to time out. When he's done he never goes without telling Carter he's sorry and giving him a hug. If he steals a toy from Carter (which he can only get away with so much longer), he is very good about giving him something else....even his Lightning McQueen race car, which is quite coveted.
Logan is always excited to see both sets of Grandparents - and the feeling is definitely mutual. He will also tell his Grandmas 'Hi Grama, I wuv-u', on the phone.
The week before Logan's birthday, John and I went on vacation - alone. It was lovely. The boys stayed with John's parents and had a marvelous time. I was told that Logan asked for me once when going to bed, but didn't seem sad or cry. That is great (although, would it have hurt him to ask for us more than once??). We are truly grateful that we can leave them with trusting family and not have to worry every second if the boys are having a good time or want to come home.
Logan calls John 'Daddy' and me, 'Mama'. I sometimes would prefer Mommy, but the way he says 'Mama' is just so darn cute.
Logan still is not the best eater - sometimes he is awesome, but most of the time, just okay. He doesn't say he is hungry throughout the day either. He loves, loves, milk. His current favorite foods are: string cheese and pepperoni. Hey - whatever works! Breakfast is his best time and he love pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, yogurt, toast, french toast, those dumb powdered sugar donuts....I could go on. I need to find a way to sneak in more veggies into that meal without ruining the flavor. :)
Logan after a few month trial of waking up through the night, which is pretty foreign to us, found his groove again and sleeps from about 8:15 - 6:30. We are working on getting him to at least stay in his room until 7am.
At his 2 year birthday he was mostly in size 2T. Pants waist he could still be 18 month but needs 2T for length...and with some brands of shirts he could actually do a 3T. I like to wear his hair spiked and he gets loads of compliments on those days.
Logan throws some pretty funny tantrums. After throwing himself on the floor a couple times, now he gets down slowly, then proceeds to kick and scream. I giggle to myself, let him get it out a bit, then go try and calm him down. Sometimes he goes to time out without a problem and acts all cool there and sometimes it is not a picnic. Carter likes to keep Logan company in timeout - what a good lil' bro, however it can sometimes be distracting for Logan...especially if Carter has now comphescated the toy Logan was playing with. hehe...stinker!
Logan has a love hate relationship with Buddy. If we are all upstairs, he wants Buddy up there too. If Buddy is in his way, he will push or hit Buddy away (we are working on that one...). He likes to feed Buddy his dogfood and treats. He will go to pet Buddy, but Buddy is still not too sure of 'little' hands and he moves. Logan also finds it fun to chase Buddy with toys and laughs histerically if Buddy pounces on a toy.
STOP! This has become Logan's word of choice. Apparently I say it way too often. Logan says 'Carter, stop!' or 'Buddy, stop!'. We are working on other words and saying things nicely...although when I say stop, I probably don't sound all too pleasant either...so John and I are working on being better role models with our words and actions.
Logan waves hi to people when we walk by, at the mall or something - he is very friendly.
Logan is a Cars-addict! Anything Mater or McQueen. He could watch the movie all dagdum day (as Mater would say). He also really likes Toy Story 1, 2 and 3. His favorite tv shows are Thomas the train, Special Agent OSO, Chuggington, Dora the Explorer and Diego. Depending on what tv we are looking at, he will shout what he watches the most there - OSO or McQueen are the two he shouts the most for!
All in all, he is an awesome dude!!!! We love him to infinity and beyond!!
37.25 inches (98th percentile)
27 pounds 10 ounces (50th percentile)
The doctor came in and Logan even spoke for him, which the doctor said that sometimes 2 year olds don't do because they are shy and apprehensive about the visit. I think because Logan was just at the doctor for Carter a couple weeks ago, he was more comfortable. Who knows.
So, his eyes, ears, nose and mouth were checked. Breathing too - he was a champ - no problems. Then the doctor left and the nurse came in for the shots....I was prepared for this to go badly as he is now more aware of what is going to happen. He laid down and I held his arms. Shot one done (thank goodness the shots go so quickly)...his looked changed, but no tears. Shot two done. Still no tears! What a brave and tough guy!!! I had talked up the doctor's visit the day before and day of...who knows if that is what worked or not, but I'll take it!
Logan is such an amazing kid. Not only is he uber-adorable, but he is such a laid-back fun kid. He plays so well by himself and well with others too. He likes to laugh, give big hugs and kisses. At night I always do his bedtime routine and he gives hugs and kisses to John then I pick him up and we both say 'I love you' to Daddy and flash him the I love you 'sign'. Since Logan can't quite master putting his 2 middle fingers down and all the others up, he just puts all 5 fingers out - stiff as a board. It is very cute.
He runs around - he sometimes even starts by pulling one knee up and cranking back his arm and makes a Vroom sound! He is talking a lot more and understands a lot!
He loves his brother and always seems concerned if Carter has left the room without him saying good-bye. "Where's Carter"? And the hands go up and he proceeds to look around. Very cute. On the other hand, poor Carter does get slugged from time to time, in which case Logan goes to time out. When he's done he never goes without telling Carter he's sorry and giving him a hug. If he steals a toy from Carter (which he can only get away with so much longer), he is very good about giving him something else....even his Lightning McQueen race car, which is quite coveted.
Logan is always excited to see both sets of Grandparents - and the feeling is definitely mutual. He will also tell his Grandmas 'Hi Grama, I wuv-u', on the phone.
The week before Logan's birthday, John and I went on vacation - alone. It was lovely. The boys stayed with John's parents and had a marvelous time. I was told that Logan asked for me once when going to bed, but didn't seem sad or cry. That is great (although, would it have hurt him to ask for us more than once??). We are truly grateful that we can leave them with trusting family and not have to worry every second if the boys are having a good time or want to come home.
Logan calls John 'Daddy' and me, 'Mama'. I sometimes would prefer Mommy, but the way he says 'Mama' is just so darn cute.
Logan still is not the best eater - sometimes he is awesome, but most of the time, just okay. He doesn't say he is hungry throughout the day either. He loves, loves, milk. His current favorite foods are: string cheese and pepperoni. Hey - whatever works! Breakfast is his best time and he love pancakes, waffles, bacon, sausage, oatmeal, yogurt, toast, french toast, those dumb powdered sugar donuts....I could go on. I need to find a way to sneak in more veggies into that meal without ruining the flavor. :)
Logan after a few month trial of waking up through the night, which is pretty foreign to us, found his groove again and sleeps from about 8:15 - 6:30. We are working on getting him to at least stay in his room until 7am.
At his 2 year birthday he was mostly in size 2T. Pants waist he could still be 18 month but needs 2T for length...and with some brands of shirts he could actually do a 3T. I like to wear his hair spiked and he gets loads of compliments on those days.
Logan throws some pretty funny tantrums. After throwing himself on the floor a couple times, now he gets down slowly, then proceeds to kick and scream. I giggle to myself, let him get it out a bit, then go try and calm him down. Sometimes he goes to time out without a problem and acts all cool there and sometimes it is not a picnic. Carter likes to keep Logan company in timeout - what a good lil' bro, however it can sometimes be distracting for Logan...especially if Carter has now comphescated the toy Logan was playing with. hehe...stinker!
Logan has a love hate relationship with Buddy. If we are all upstairs, he wants Buddy up there too. If Buddy is in his way, he will push or hit Buddy away (we are working on that one...). He likes to feed Buddy his dogfood and treats. He will go to pet Buddy, but Buddy is still not too sure of 'little' hands and he moves. Logan also finds it fun to chase Buddy with toys and laughs histerically if Buddy pounces on a toy.
STOP! This has become Logan's word of choice. Apparently I say it way too often. Logan says 'Carter, stop!' or 'Buddy, stop!'. We are working on other words and saying things nicely...although when I say stop, I probably don't sound all too pleasant either...so John and I are working on being better role models with our words and actions.
Logan waves hi to people when we walk by, at the mall or something - he is very friendly.
Logan is a Cars-addict! Anything Mater or McQueen. He could watch the movie all dagdum day (as Mater would say). He also really likes Toy Story 1, 2 and 3. His favorite tv shows are Thomas the train, Special Agent OSO, Chuggington, Dora the Explorer and Diego. Depending on what tv we are looking at, he will shout what he watches the most there - OSO or McQueen are the two he shouts the most for!
All in all, he is an awesome dude!!!! We love him to infinity and beyond!!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Carter's 9 month well visit
Carter turned 9 months on October 29th and I took him for his well visit on the 28th. His checkup went very well. Here are his stats:
20 pounds 13 ounces (50th percentile)
29.75 inches (90th percentile)
head: 18 inches (50th percentile)
Carter is growing marvelously! He is just a few ounces less than Logan was at 9 months and 1.25 inches shorter. So while he's still tall, it looks as though he will end up a little shorter than Logan.
He is meeting all of the milestones. He crawls so incredibly fast, he stands up on any piece of furniture that he finds, he walks along the furniture and even transfers from the couch to the end table and he mimicks some sounds...oh he is just so busy! He did well while getting poked and prodded from the doctor and did well for the shot. He only cried a little...tough guy! :) We have to go back in a few weeks for the follow up flu shot.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Carter Mimicks
Not sure if I've mentioned here before, but Carter growls! Imagine if you had a scratchy throat and you were trying to scratch it through growl (I cannot be the only one who has done this). One of the first times he did this was at my Godson's confirmation. The pastor was talking...all was quiet and here came this growl - that sounds scary! It had several of us laughing...which you have to conceal in church. :)
We thought maybe it was fluke, but he keeps busting out this growl. Had I known, I really would have made him be a lion, tiger or bear for Halloween! Instead he is a duck, a hand-me-down costume from his cousin because I couldn't think of something quick enough to have my Mom make it.
Anyway, Carter will just be playing along and John will growl at him...and Carter growls back. We've tested this on more than one occassion - mainly because it is funny to hear him growl. :)
I don't remember Logan mimicking this early, so this is exciting - as it is something new earlier.
Also, I swear there have been a few times that Carter has said Mama. Once when I picked him up and another when he was looking at me from his high chair. We'll see though; it could've been fluke, so we'll wait to see if it happens again.
I wonder with the mimicking and possible first word so soon, if it means that he will talk earlier than Logan did. Logan's first word of 'moo' wasn't until 14.5 months. Typically I've heard that the 2nd child talks later than the first because the first child talks for them. However, l don't believe this to be true when they are 15 months apart. Logan is talking, but not enough to talk for Carter or even in full sentences yet.
We'll see...but for now, this phase is super cute!!
We thought maybe it was fluke, but he keeps busting out this growl. Had I known, I really would have made him be a lion, tiger or bear for Halloween! Instead he is a duck, a hand-me-down costume from his cousin because I couldn't think of something quick enough to have my Mom make it.
Anyway, Carter will just be playing along and John will growl at him...and Carter growls back. We've tested this on more than one occassion - mainly because it is funny to hear him growl. :)
I don't remember Logan mimicking this early, so this is exciting - as it is something new earlier.
Also, I swear there have been a few times that Carter has said Mama. Once when I picked him up and another when he was looking at me from his high chair. We'll see though; it could've been fluke, so we'll wait to see if it happens again.
I wonder with the mimicking and possible first word so soon, if it means that he will talk earlier than Logan did. Logan's first word of 'moo' wasn't until 14.5 months. Typically I've heard that the 2nd child talks later than the first because the first child talks for them. However, l don't believe this to be true when they are 15 months apart. Logan is talking, but not enough to talk for Carter or even in full sentences yet.
We'll see...but for now, this phase is super cute!!
Favorite Things...
My absolute favorite thing that Carter is doing right now is - if you put your face close to his, he grabs your face with both hands, pulls your face to his and nuzzles and laughs. Oh, it is the cutest thing!
You know how when they say when you are having a baby that there is the pitter patter of little feet? Well, it is funny, because obviously at first, babies don't pitter patter. But lately I am reminded of this when Logan has his gym shoes on and runs back and forth on our first floor (which is mainly hardwood and tile). He pitter, patters everywhere and it is such a fun sound.
The boys both have big milestones coming up. Carter is going to be 9 months old on Friday the 29th and Logan is going to be 2 the following Friday the 5th. They are both so little, yet so old. :)
Oh, I do love my boys!
You know how when they say when you are having a baby that there is the pitter patter of little feet? Well, it is funny, because obviously at first, babies don't pitter patter. But lately I am reminded of this when Logan has his gym shoes on and runs back and forth on our first floor (which is mainly hardwood and tile). He pitter, patters everywhere and it is such a fun sound.
The boys both have big milestones coming up. Carter is going to be 9 months old on Friday the 29th and Logan is going to be 2 the following Friday the 5th. They are both so little, yet so old. :)
Oh, I do love my boys!
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Halloween Pictures
The boys had their Halloween Pictures taken today. While Logan whined (yet again) to get into his costume, once bribed with m&m's he was just fine. He said 'cheese' in the cutest cheesy way possible....he roared with claws out and everything....man, the kid rocked the camera and was a cutie.
Carter, my typical smiler, especially at the studios, didn't smile once. He still took cute pictures, because he is a cute kiddo, but they just weren't with his cute smile. We were in such a rush to get out the door because they both napped longer than usual that he didn't have an extremely full lunch. So between that and the costume being big and warm, he just didn't enjoy the photo shoot like normal.
Anyway, here are some of the pictures:
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Carter's First Tooth
He did it!!! At a ripe 8.5 months of age, Carter has sprouted his first tooth. It is his bottom right tooth. It was a very exciting moment!! While I will miss the gummy grin, I am excited for some teeth to come in there.
As I called to tell the Grandma's the exciting news...John's mom had more excitement...my SIL Brittany's water broke (35 weeks) and she was going to have her baby...tonight!
What an exciting day! A tooth and a new niece!
As I called to tell the Grandma's the exciting news...John's mom had more excitement...my SIL Brittany's water broke (35 weeks) and she was going to have her baby...tonight!
What an exciting day! A tooth and a new niece!
Saturday, October 2, 2010
The boys' excitement
Logan the last month, but especially this past week is really emphasizing his excitement for things - even things that he has seen a million times over.
He'll 'read' his car book (simply a book with pictures of real cars). He turns the page - GASP, Oh WOW!!! CARS. He then proceeds to point to each car and say OOH, A CAR!! Turns the page.....repeat.
We were driving yesterday and he was very much awake (typically he is either silent, but awake or sleeping) and he was gasping and shouting with excitement at each car, semi truck, garbage truck or motorcycle we saw. It was soo funny.
He is just so cute.
In the meantime, Carter continues to twirl his hands and feet when he is excited. I recently starting zooming food into his mouth and he laughs and closes his eyes in excitement.
Carter is also trying to make sounds 'tata' seems to be a popular one when he is somewhat quiet. Otherwise, he is a noisy kiddo.
Love them both!!!
He'll 'read' his car book (simply a book with pictures of real cars). He turns the page - GASP, Oh WOW!!! CARS. He then proceeds to point to each car and say OOH, A CAR!! Turns the page.....repeat.
We were driving yesterday and he was very much awake (typically he is either silent, but awake or sleeping) and he was gasping and shouting with excitement at each car, semi truck, garbage truck or motorcycle we saw. It was soo funny.
He is just so cute.
In the meantime, Carter continues to twirl his hands and feet when he is excited. I recently starting zooming food into his mouth and he laughs and closes his eyes in excitement.
Carter is also trying to make sounds 'tata' seems to be a popular one when he is somewhat quiet. Otherwise, he is a noisy kiddo.
Love them both!!!
Pictures
A random assortment of pictures, but it shows a bit of what we've been up to lately.
After several picture sessions, I've learned that as soon as one starts smiling, the other one stops. I hope to figure out a trick sooner or later, but it is still a cute picture nonetheless.
In September we had a couple 90 degree days. We got this cool truck at a garage sale and it is awesome. Carter fits in the 'trunk' of the truck. Logan would put his feet on the dashboard and I spent a while walking them back and forth along the sidewalk. A good time had by all!
Logan put John's sunglasses on the pumpkin. He was very proud of this and had no problem givin me a 'cheese' smile. :) Love it!
At library storytime we usually do a craft. Our craft this past week, was face painting. We read stories about tigers and same some tiger songs... Here Logan was practicing his ROAR! Too cute. He did very well with the face painting - he sat very still while I put it on and he didn't touch it like many other kids were doing. This could be trouble for us at carnivals. ;)
Logan doesn't like things to be messy - especially on him. I didn't see a spot, but he looked at his shoe and said 'wipe'. I gave him a wipe and this is what he proceeded to do. I guess he just wanted to make sure his tennies shined!
At the playgrounds, he is fearless. He has climbed rock walls (on a slant), he climbs tricky stair cases...but this is his latest accomplishment - the rope wall. He climbs up the 4 rungs and then walks sideways holding onto the ropes and changing hands while he wobbles a bit on the ropes. It is very cool...and scary. I am glad he is not afraid of those things, but at the same time, my heart skips a beat during some of his crazy adventures!
Carter's 8 month photo shoot on the front lawn...
And for his next trick....he started pulling himself to a stand about a week before turning 8 months old. Every morning when we go get him, this is what we find.
After several picture sessions, I've learned that as soon as one starts smiling, the other one stops. I hope to figure out a trick sooner or later, but it is still a cute picture nonetheless.
In September we had a couple 90 degree days. We got this cool truck at a garage sale and it is awesome. Carter fits in the 'trunk' of the truck. Logan would put his feet on the dashboard and I spent a while walking them back and forth along the sidewalk. A good time had by all!
Logan put John's sunglasses on the pumpkin. He was very proud of this and had no problem givin me a 'cheese' smile. :) Love it!
At library storytime we usually do a craft. Our craft this past week, was face painting. We read stories about tigers and same some tiger songs... Here Logan was practicing his ROAR! Too cute. He did very well with the face painting - he sat very still while I put it on and he didn't touch it like many other kids were doing. This could be trouble for us at carnivals. ;)
Logan doesn't like things to be messy - especially on him. I didn't see a spot, but he looked at his shoe and said 'wipe'. I gave him a wipe and this is what he proceeded to do. I guess he just wanted to make sure his tennies shined!
At the playgrounds, he is fearless. He has climbed rock walls (on a slant), he climbs tricky stair cases...but this is his latest accomplishment - the rope wall. He climbs up the 4 rungs and then walks sideways holding onto the ropes and changing hands while he wobbles a bit on the ropes. It is very cool...and scary. I am glad he is not afraid of those things, but at the same time, my heart skips a beat during some of his crazy adventures!
Carter's 8 month photo shoot on the front lawn...
And for his next trick....he started pulling himself to a stand about a week before turning 8 months old. Every morning when we go get him, this is what we find.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Updates
Our summer is coming to a close. Fall is my favorite season, so I am very excited. Plus, this summer, with 2 little ones under 2, it was just too hot for us to be out and really enjoy it. Next summer should be somewhat lovely...although, busy I can imagine with the two of them running around. :) I look forward to it.
Anywho, just a few updates.
Carter has been army crawling since just before he was 7 months old. When he sees something he wants, he is quite persistent. He eats like crazy! He eats puffs as if they are going out of style. Logan also enjoys the puffs...if only they weren't more expensive than a big box of cereal! Logan, while he enjoys puffs, is hit or miss on other things. Some days he likes pb&j, some days not. Same goes with pretty much any food! It is frustrating. His favorite word is 'no' and sometimes he says it with such attitude...Gr.
As Carter is army crawling...he is able to reach toys...toys which his big brother may be playing with. This is not going over extremely well. 'No, Carter, Carter, Carter!!!' is what I hear. Or if Carter crawls to a toy that is not being played with...Logan grabs it from him to put it away. So we are working on sharing toys and not taking things from Carter just because he can. The other day, Logan was drinking out of his water bottle and he left it on the floor. Carter started playing with it and it rolled across the room. Carter started on his trek....he army crawls like crazy...he is about 2 feet away and Logan sees him, walks over, picks up his water bottle, starts drinking and walks away. While he walked away, Carter watched him looking longingly at the water bottle. Poor kiddo...
Logan repeats pretty much anything you ask him to. It is so cute. We have been to so many birthday parties - all different and new experiences for him....and me. :)
Another new trick that Carter has mastered in the last week is going from his stomach to a sitting position. I love watching him learn new things...and some of them without instruction.
One of my new favorite things is part of our bedtime routine. After both boys are changed and in their pj's we let them hang out in our bed for a few minutes before they go to bed. Logan typically likes flop around and laugh, laugh, laugh. Now, Carter joins in on the fun. He flops around, then gets himself in a sitting position and re-flops. Then we tickle the boys...they laugh...then they laugh at each other laughing. It is such a cute time. Then I rock Carter for a couple minutes in his room and put him to bed. Then Logan cuddles inbetween John and I for a few minutes watching tv and then gives John kisses and I tuck him in to bed. It is nice.
Well, I just wanted to make an update. I hope to make more soon!
Anywho, just a few updates.
Carter has been army crawling since just before he was 7 months old. When he sees something he wants, he is quite persistent. He eats like crazy! He eats puffs as if they are going out of style. Logan also enjoys the puffs...if only they weren't more expensive than a big box of cereal! Logan, while he enjoys puffs, is hit or miss on other things. Some days he likes pb&j, some days not. Same goes with pretty much any food! It is frustrating. His favorite word is 'no' and sometimes he says it with such attitude...Gr.
As Carter is army crawling...he is able to reach toys...toys which his big brother may be playing with. This is not going over extremely well. 'No, Carter, Carter, Carter!!!' is what I hear. Or if Carter crawls to a toy that is not being played with...Logan grabs it from him to put it away. So we are working on sharing toys and not taking things from Carter just because he can. The other day, Logan was drinking out of his water bottle and he left it on the floor. Carter started playing with it and it rolled across the room. Carter started on his trek....he army crawls like crazy...he is about 2 feet away and Logan sees him, walks over, picks up his water bottle, starts drinking and walks away. While he walked away, Carter watched him looking longingly at the water bottle. Poor kiddo...
Logan repeats pretty much anything you ask him to. It is so cute. We have been to so many birthday parties - all different and new experiences for him....and me. :)
Another new trick that Carter has mastered in the last week is going from his stomach to a sitting position. I love watching him learn new things...and some of them without instruction.
One of my new favorite things is part of our bedtime routine. After both boys are changed and in their pj's we let them hang out in our bed for a few minutes before they go to bed. Logan typically likes flop around and laugh, laugh, laugh. Now, Carter joins in on the fun. He flops around, then gets himself in a sitting position and re-flops. Then we tickle the boys...they laugh...then they laugh at each other laughing. It is such a cute time. Then I rock Carter for a couple minutes in his room and put him to bed. Then Logan cuddles inbetween John and I for a few minutes watching tv and then gives John kisses and I tuck him in to bed. It is nice.
Well, I just wanted to make an update. I hope to make more soon!
Monday, August 9, 2010
Carter is 6 months old
My little man Carter just turned 6 months old on July 29th.
He got his first haircut a few days prior. When the wind blew or he put his hands on his head, which is often, his bangs or sideburns would get in his eyes. It was crazy...so I took him to KidSnips. He sat on my lap (Logan sat in the cool truck and watched Thomas the Train as he was getting his haircut next) and we both wore aprons. Carter sat very still and looked soooo clean-cut afterwards. I am very glad I did it.
A few days after his half-birthday, he had his 6 month well visit checkup with Dr. M. It went very well. He showed off his sitting skills as the nurse and doctor entered the room. He also passed all the developmental questions....handing an object from one hand to the other...puts pressure on his legs...sits supported, or un-supported in his case. He had to take an oral vaccination, which he did very well with. He also received 2 shots, which ticked him off just a bit. Here are his stats:
He got his first haircut a few days prior. When the wind blew or he put his hands on his head, which is often, his bangs or sideburns would get in his eyes. It was crazy...so I took him to KidSnips. He sat on my lap (Logan sat in the cool truck and watched Thomas the Train as he was getting his haircut next) and we both wore aprons. Carter sat very still and looked soooo clean-cut afterwards. I am very glad I did it.
A few days after his half-birthday, he had his 6 month well visit checkup with Dr. M. It went very well. He showed off his sitting skills as the nurse and doctor entered the room. He also passed all the developmental questions....handing an object from one hand to the other...puts pressure on his legs...sits supported, or un-supported in his case. He had to take an oral vaccination, which he did very well with. He also received 2 shots, which ticked him off just a bit. Here are his stats:
18 pounds 7 ounces (70th percentile)
28 inches (90th percentile)
head: 17.5 (60th percentile)
For those curious, he - at this point - is a half pound *less* than where Logan was...and an inch shorter.
Carter has already started rocking back and forth on his hands and knees in his crib and when placed on the floor. I think this is a couple weeks earlier than Logan. Carter constantly is moving - if sitting in the highchair, you will likely find him twirling his wrists and/or feet. It is just too funny! When he eats, after you spoon in the food, his left hand almost immediately goes into his mouth to suck on it. I think he does it to help him swallow. Carter currently has (breast)milk 3 times and eats baby food with dinner. I did buy some baby food and I made sweet potatoes myself...and avocado. Sometimes he has just sweet potatoes, sometimes a combo-platter. It is a lot thicker than the runny baby food and he LOVES it!
Carter currently sleeps about 12 hours at night (awesome!) and naps twice daily. He wakes up around 8am, is up for 2 hours, then goes down around 10am, sleeps for about 3-4 hours (woo-hoo!), up again for 2 hours, naps for 2 hours, up till 8 when he goes to bed. It is a pretty awesome schedule and I love that I have another great sleeper. At this point, I can tell when he is sleepy - he is fussy or he starts sucking his thumb or lays his head down for longer than 3 seconds. I go upstairs and put him in his bed. He starts sucking his thumb, turns to his side or rolls completely onto his tummy and goes to sleep. Sometimes he cries a bit, but it lasts up to 2 minutes tops! If it is longer than that he most likely just needs to burp, then goes right back down.
Carter smiles ALL the time. He has a great, big smile and it makes others smile when you look at him. His hair has filled in nicely around the sides and back...but is still thick upfront as he never lost any. The super funny thing about the front is his hair goes straight-forward then turns to the right (or left if you are looking at him) AND it is fluffy. He has been compared to (hair-wise ONLY) to Conan O'Brien or Donald Trump. Nice, I know...but it is true.
So I took Carter to get his 6month pictures taken and he did so well. He sat up straight and smiled at the right times and there was a picture that he did not smile, but he looks like a doll (so I got the picture). :) After the picture was printed I realized that his hair has reddish tones - like mine did when I was a kid...my hair was always brown, with natural blonde and red tones throughout. But I also noticed just how poofy Carter's hair is on top. {So for the Madorma-cousins photo shoot a week later, I put gel in Carter's hair to tame the top and it worked.}
Let's see...what else. Carter enjoys swings at the park. He likes to watch his big brother play. He sometimes likes to roll into his big brother or touch his face, to which Logan says 'Carter....'.
Unfortunately, Carter rolls WAY, WAY more than Logan ever probably even thought of...which has led to falling off some pieces of furniture. He is just soooo quick. So, Carter if you are reading this in the future....when people ask you if you were dropped on your head as a baby, you can unfortunately say yes. And now, I would like to apologize for letting that happen.
Carter is just such a cutie pie and when people see him then always compliment his big eyes and cheeks. They also typically say that he looks so big for being only 6 months. Well, yes, based on his stats, he is in the bigger range. However, especially after picking Logan up, when I get Carter from his crib or carry him around downstairs or see him in his carseat or high chair, he is just small to me and I love that.
My 2nd little man is growing up and I love every second of it!
Muddy Buddy
In an attempt to lose weight, get fit and do something fun for myself, my friend Kathy & I did the Muddy Buddy; my friend Sam and her hubby Mike also joined in the fun. It is a 6 mile bike/run race with obstacles. We alternate biking and running and perform an obstacle inbetween (climb a small rock wall, crawl under a cargo net, walk across balance beams, climb up a cargo net and slide down, crawl through a mudpit - the most fun!!!). We had a blast. We trained minimally, so perhaps next year we will train in plenty of time and improve our time. This picture is of us 'after' we cleaned up a bit. :)
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