Week 22 - Christmas and road trip!

Just like that Christmas came and went and with a lazy day the day after Christmas before we hit the road...Christmas disappeared from our house.  It's always sad to see it go, but made me very excited for what our lives will look like next year putting it back up and having to be aware of what Charlie can pull down.  Crazy!!

This was a fun week because the majority of it was spent in good old Katy, TX with our best friends - the Calcaras.  Yes, we willingly chose to drive with a 5 month old 12 hours in the car.  It wasn't horrible the way down, but the way back...well that was another story.  Will someday get to a blog post with pictures from our trip!  In the mean time, Vanessa did an awesome job of summing it up!

This week of your life also ended the year of 2012.  Crazy to think all the fun that 2013 will bring as we get the honor of being your parents and watching and helping you grow.  Can't wait for all this fun!!! 

*PS - I accidentally wrote on 12.27 that we hung out with Vanessa and Christ.  Just in case you are confused, that should read "Chris", as we did not get the pleasure of hanging out with Christ.  Even though that would have been amazing!!

Folks, we have a 5 month old!

I literally remember when you were just born and I was sitting down in our family room with you thinking that having a newborn was so hard and exhausting and all I wanted was for you to be like 5 or 6 months.  The perfect age, right?  Well, somehow that time is already here.  I have no idea why 5 months ago I thought that was the perfect age, but let me tell you this - it is pretty dang fun.  You are just such a blessing and sweetheart.  

Here's the list of what you are doing now...

• You are still rock that beautiful, toothless baby smile quite regularly.  I'm not going to lie...it pretty much melts my heart.
• We think you are starting to get "stranger danger" aka anxiety with strangers a bit.  Just a few times when someone you have never met approaches you, you do a little freak out and all you want is your mom.  Don't tell anyone, but I secretly like it when only I can make you feel better and comfort you.  Must be a mom thing.
• You scream more (not as loud or as much as your friend Jackson) and make lots of noises.  You even belly laugh with your giggles sometimes.  I love that.
• You ALMOST have the back to front roll over mastered.  You were trying SO hard for everyone on our trip to Iowa...you just cannot seem to figure out what to do with that pesky hand!
• You still grab EVERYTHING and you grab it hard.  Like I thought one more you were going to rip my earring out.  (note to self: no more hoop earrings). Hair is still a favorite of yours and you put it in you mouth.

• You are still love day care.  Your teachers were so sad when we told them you wouldn't be there for 2 whole weeks because of the holidays, traveling and we are off work!!
• You take 4.5 ounce bottles pretty regularly at school!!  Moving on up little man.
• You have become the distracted nurser.  We have to go into our own room and it needs to be quiet and kind of dark...otherwise you nurse for like 3 minutes and then pull off and whip your head around to check out the room/surrounding/gas station (nursing in a car on the way home from Houston = fail).  I often wear my nursing cover in the morning too because when dad walks in the room you want to look at him and smile.  Cute, but not effective to get you fed!!
• You had antibiotics for the first time.  You got your first ear infection and bronchial infection.  Not fun.  And guess what?  Your ear drum ruptured the first time...I hope that doesn't signal bad ear stuff to come.  You did not-so-good taking the antibiotics, but next time we'll make sure they are bubble gum!!!  But at least we got that first sickness over with.  For being sick though, you were still pretty resilient and sweet.
• Sleeping??  What sleeping?? Haha.  Seriously kid, I kind of wish you never slept through the night because then I would think it just wasn't possible!!!  This last month was rough with being sick (both of us) and the holidays and traveling.  We worked on getting you out of the swaddle, which I would say for the most part was successful.  You are doing well in a sleep sack and only every once and a while if you are inconsolable at night we will swaddle your arms.  One step at a time...
• Still drooling a TON and all the time, but no teeth yet.
• We got your high chair and you are such a big boy and sit so good in it and play with your toys while mom and dad eat at the table.  Your dad is just dying to get you started on rice cereal and then solids, but I'm a little intimidated and just don't have time the first half of January because I'm taking an intersession class.  We'll see how long I can hold him off. He did buy rice cereal at the grocery story today...
• You are starting to balance more when you sit up - Dr. Natasha said by six months you should have it down and I'm positive you will!  You can kind of prop yourself up for a little bit and then usually fall, but you are getting there.  I can't believe it is already time for that.
• You can still fit into some 3-6 month clothes, but you are a too long for all your Carter's 6 month PJs, so those are all 9 months now - which is crazy.  No more straight up 3 month stuff for you...all 6 month and mainly 6-9.  Growing SO fast!!!   
• What happened to my thumb sucker?  You were all about it and all of a sudden you want nothing to do with it.  Or a pacifier!! How are we supposed to soothe you?  The only thing I can come up with is singing to you....
• You still move all over the crib.  You are figuring out that it's not that bad to move around a little bit and are getting better at going back to sleep
• When you are at home on the weekends (or over the holidays) you only take 30 minute naps.  Seriously - I think you need to nap longer and you don't.  Our first fight.

• Still working on figuring out at night how to calm you down and get you to sleep without picking you up and/or feeding you.  That has not been very successful, but the latter part of the month you were sleeping in all different places...so January we'll start over.  Positive sleep vibes!!!  It's getting harder to hold you and rock you though because you are so big and long!!!!
• Still rocking those size 3 diapers.  Looking good little man.

We took you to the doctor right before Christmas and you weighed 16 lbs and 1 ounce - you are almost double what you weighed when you were born which is nuts!

Look at that sweet baby smile.  You were trying to show off in front of the camera too and do the "sit up on your own" thing.  You did it for like 20 seconds and then fell.

See?  Right on your noggin.  Immediately the photo shoot was done and the camera thrown aside for mom to console you because I thought you were going to start crying.  You didn't.  You just looked at me when I picked you up and smiled.  Tough guy here!!

It has been SUCH a privilege to be your mom baby Charlie these past 5 months and I know your dad feels the same way about being your dad.  It's just so fun to see all the new things you learn and all the toys you play with you and way you turn your head when you hear our voices.  We love that you know us and love us.  Because we love you so so much.  It's pretty remarkable.  And you make everything a little more special, especially the holidays.  I loved seeing you eat the presents this year and cannot believe how big you will be next year.  This next month I'm sure you will change even more!!!!!!!  I love it and hate it all at the same time.

Charlie's first Christmas

It came and went in a blink of an eye.  Just like everything these days.  His first Christmas.  I feel like it totally snuck up on us because there was lots that we didn't do.  We FINALLY made a baby's first Christmas hand print ornament...on December 26.  So if that gives you a clue about how fast it went by.  I tried to be good at taking pictures and I got a lot of candid shots, but very few posed.  Note to self: take some more posed pictures.

Christmas Eve in the afternoon we literally packed up our entire house with everything we needed for a one night sleepover at Nana and Papa B's.  We had to take two cars if that gives you any sort of visual. That's because in addition to our thousand baby items, we had presents and 2 dog kennels and 3 dogs and a BIG wagon for Charlie's present.  So I guess it was explainable, but it still felt ridiculous driving 2 cars over to my parents just 15 minutes away.

We went to the 3PM candlelight Christmas Eve service at COR and it was packed!!  We usually go to the 11PM service, but that all changed with Mr. Charlie this year.  He did a great job, but of course I didn't get any pictures of our cute little family.  #momfail  After the service we headed home and got dinner started and it was DELICIOUS.  My grandparents came over and so did my uncle (in addition to my cousin, Brett, that is living with my parents right now) to enjoy the yummy food.  Gotta love a Christmas Eve shrimp boil.

Charlie put on his Christmas PJs and off to bed he went.  I thought about writing a letter to Santa from him, but then I went to bed.  Haha, is that another #momfail?  I figure next year we'll do it up right when he's a little older and we'll be at our house.

He was up at 6:30AM on Christmas morning and ready to go.  Being the first one out, Nana B immediately busted out Charlie's present that she had been hiding away.  A Charlie-sized recliner that matches his nursery perfectly!  He loved it and it was a perfect fit!

Once everyone else got up, dad put together his new wagon and we did one family pose in that.  Except Jimmy is not looking at the camera.  Another #momfail...but at least the kid liked the wagon.  Once he's sitting up better I'm sure he'll just love it!

Then we started opening up way too many presents.  My family was way too nice.  Jimmy got like 17 St Thomas Aquinas shirts from my mom too.  And we got an awesome coffee maker from my mom as well as some baby food freezer stuff!  Of course Charlie got some fun toys and clothes and was just spoiled rotten.  Typical first grandkid, right?!

Here are 3 of the 7 dogs....(and my dad and Brett)

Toby was really good and calm, so I guess he can come back!

Willy thinks the chair is his! 

After all the presents were opened, it was time to take care of the stocking stuffer scratch off tickets that my mom always gets!  My dad was working WAY too hard on them. 

 While Lyndsay hung out with Charlie....my grandparents came over too again to hang out!!

And then these are stupid pictures of Jimmy sneaking sausage roll.  And me laughing.  We are so funny.

Charlie was pretty chill in the exersaucer all day too.  But look at that DROOL.  oh MY goodness.  Somehow he got tall enough to touch the bottom too.  I'm not sure when that happened!!

After making the trek back to our house with all of our stuff (presents included) with the help of my cousin's truck, we were at home for one nap, an outfit change and then it was over to the Carter house for family Christmas there!! Charlie's cousins are pretty in love with him.  Norah made it clear that I know that babies love her because baby Arden loved her and held her hand!!  Precious!

Then we opened Christmas presents and it was always fun to see all the kids open stuff.  New tradition at the Carter Christmas?  Chant the person's name that is opening the present.  Pretty fun.  Charlie was first so he had a lot of fun!!!

We had lots of fun!!  Including a great present from Grana and Pops of his little Charlie backpack to match the duffle bag my mom and dad got him!

The boys traded t-shirts...

And when presents were over Charlie was POOPED.  Poor guy.

And guess what else happened?  Maren lost a tooth (well it was loose and Aunt Shellie is the tooth pulling expert and pulled it out!!!) and was so proud!  While Norah insisted on getting her picture taken too!

And Miss Kenlie?  Well she just had way too much Christmas for her own good.  She passed out on Uncle Bobby! While Charlie woke up and put on his PJs that Grana made and jumped in the jumparoo!!  Fun was had by all.

Overall it was a great first Christmas.  Have a few things to learn for next year though and maybe a couple more special memories to make.  But we're all taking this parenthood/child thing one step at a time!!!

Hope you and yours had a merry merry Christmas as well!

Week 21: Holidays!

The holidays always seem to got by way too fast!  And even more so with a little babe.  While I tried my best to stay on top of everything (teacher's gifts, present buying, holiday decor, etc.), it ended up that everything was done again at the last minute.  But hey, it got done, right?  That's what counts!!

You also had your first snow this week.  While you didn't play in it (too cold), you were pretty mesmerized looking at it.  So crazy that next year you will want to be out there running around.  That's dad's job because mom likes to stay inside!

It also marked a start of mom and dad "dating" again with our first surprise date in a LONG time.  Maybe the first one of 2012.  And the last.  But that's what 2013 is for, right?

We also had a fun play date with Jackson and then Christmas Eve was upon us already.  SO much fun this week and so looking forward to our time in Houston and time off to spend with you!!

Krista - you totally inspired me.  While I wasn't too creative, I had fun making the teacher gifts!

First snow - let's stay in bed mom!!!!

Dad/son twin day.  They are so handsome my men!!

Charlie is for sure noticing these crazy dogs now.  He's grabbing at them and everything.  Jimmy had him "ride" Willy one night and it sure was interesting.  Willy didn't seem to mind or really like it.

Cutest outfit ever from the Griffins - just dying at this.  I love him!

Mother/son day out includes feeding in random spots.  Gotta do what you gotta do, even in Westport in a parking lot.

Full stockings for all as we headed into Christmas!

Santa was WAY to nice to us this year!

Dad with his "poop stick'

Finally - the cookie dough cheesecake - YUM!!  Mom made just for dad!

Week 20

Sickness continued into this week (duh), but we also had some fun!   Got a new high chair that is so super cool, got TWO new friends this week (Noah David born on 12.12.12 and James Allen born on 12.16.12 - so neat to have so many new friends at such a young age!!), and made the first of many trips to Iowa!!!  A fun week it was leading up to Christmas celebrations for sure!!  Mom also started her intersession grad school class on Monday night (unexpectedly), so that sure threw her for an emotional loop.  Just when we think we have stuff down doing this whole work, daycare thing - add one more thing to the normal schedule of grad school classes.  Think we can handle all this?? I sure hope so!!

Even though it was another week of sickness - it was a lot of fun getting to see family and meet Great Grandma and Grandpa Bruns.  They sure do love you lots!!  And so do we!

Cannot wait for Christmas to come little man and get some time off with our little family!

Number 19

This week just came and went!! Was a lot of fun until sickness overtook our LIVES!!  Ahh!!  (more on that here).  But looking back on it, it was a good one for everything that we squeezed out of it.  This whole working mom and dad thing we are still getting the hang of, but some weeks I feel like we get to spend a lot of time together and others I don't - it's strange.  Even if we don't do anything different.  Who knows.

It was a good week though and we loved all the time with our little man.  It was a week of firsts in taking off the swaddle.  So funny and frustrating at the same time this parenthood thing.  Once you think things are going great and you don't want to change a thing - boom - this thing called parenthood responsibilities rock you and you are forced to rock the boat.  Some nights, you just have to suck it up and know that the sleep will be less and the next day you WILL be tired.  "Rip the bandaid" is what I kept telling Jimmy.  This was our first and I would say it went ok.  I'm sure there will be many more.  Like the first time you go to timeout, the first time we have to give you medicine (oh wait...that happened too...).  Oh parenthood, you always seems to keep us on our feet!!  That's what so amazing about it and rewarding all at once I guess!!

Ugh

What a week…I thought we knew what being “sick” was when Charlie had a 3 week cold, but add in a bronchial infection AND an ear infection (with a popped ear drum) plus a super sick mom and sick dad and all I can say is UGH. 

I should have known it was coming.  Last Friday when we picked Charlie up from school there were only 3 kids in his room and his teacher.  She was going on and on about how much fun they had today with such a small class.  I asked where everyone else was…well they were out sick.  Perfect.  So the last 4 days they were all here  infecting each other and Charlie had just yet to catch any of the new bugs. 

That evening we went to the annual Carter Christmas party that Jimmy hosts and were going to play it by ear to see how long our little man could last.  Of course he looked pretty stinking cute in his outfit with his Uncle Pat and Nana and Papa B….

…however, after just an hour of being there he was beat, rubbing his eyes.  The weird part?  He barely gave anyone any smiles.  So not like him, as he’s usually super smiley.

So off to bed mom and baby went.  He went down great and was then back up when drunk dad tried to go through the locked front door after very specific discussions and text messages saying that I would leave the BACK DOOR unlocked.  (the front door that he tried to “break” in caused Toby to wake up and protective bark for like 10 minutes – hence Charlie wakes up)  Saturday he was feeling ok, but not smiley and fussy at bed time and then Sunday, well that was it.  Mom and Charlie were both super sick.  We skipped the Carter chief’s game and just let Jimmy go while we hung out in our PJs on the couch.  Screaming, fussing, sleeping…it was quite the pattern.

One of our peaceful sleepy moments.  Poor kid.

Willy enjoyed the day laying in front of the space heater.  ALL DAY.

I talked to my mom and she said she would be able to stay with him at our house on Monday because she only had early morning appointments, which I took her up on her offer because he started to run a fever.  But I was trying not to be THAT first time mom and run him to the doctor right away.  We had already taken him in twice and it was “just a cold”, so I didn’t want that to happen again.  So the plan was for my mom to come over in the morning and stay with him and I’d call the doctor and talk to them. 

He slept SO well on Sunday night.  Like almost 11 hours without waking up one time.  Monday morning came and immediately after I stood up after his morning feeding he threw up ALL over me.  Like I’m not talking a little throw up.  Like I was cleaning up the floor in his nursery in addition to the fact that my entire tanktop and sweat pants were literally soaked.  So bad that I had to jump back in the shower to rinse off.  Poor kid.  That was when I said I don’t really care at all about the first time parent’s syndrome and we would take him into the doctor right at 8AM for walk in appointments. 

We were third on the list and poor kid was patient even though he continued to hock up a lung and snot rolling out.  Once we saw the doctor she said he had a bronchial infection and that she would just take a look in his ear to make sure.  Welp – there was an ear infection in his right ear and even worse his eardrum had popped.  I told her I was so surprised that he slept well last night, as she dug out the puss and grossness out of his ear, but she said he was probably relieved because the pressure was relieved.  So we got some antibiotics and eardrops and off we went.  He stayed with Nana B the rest of the day (we had quite the time getting him to swallow the antibiotics…) and was feeling a little better at the end of the day.  However, that night he was STILL running a fever, so Jimmy volunteered to stay home with him on Tuesday.

Tuesday, I went to the doctor myself.  Apparently I haven’t gotten sick in a while because the last time I went was pre-Carter in March 2010.  Wow, guess a baby does that to you.  No bronchitis for me, which is good but still have a cough that is keeping me up and still so congested.  I got my inhaler and she gave me some ideas for natural remedies since I’m nursing.  (it's funny how life doesn't stop as a mom...guess it's a good lesson to learn now...)

We STILL can’t figure out how to give him his medicine – shoot the kid gets it in his mouth and then just spits it back up!!  But Charlie was feeling much better, so it was back to day care on Wednesday for him. Guess there were lots of other kids that hadn’t been there all week also!!  He didn’t eat hardly on Wednesday at school… which turned into a disastrous Wednesday night.  Poor kid kept waking up and was starving from not eating during the day and then poor mom and dad were just exhausted from being sick.  Bad combination for everyone. 

Pretty sure I was a walking zombie on Thursday at work.  My head felt like it was going to blow up and I had the chills and a horrible cough.  I checked and didn’t have a fever, so that was good.  But at my lunchtime pumping – I literally almost fell asleep sitting there.  Cue me going home and taking a nap and PTO in the afternoon.  And what a glorious nap it was.  Just 2 hours and I felt like a new person.  Luckily we drove separately that day and Jimmy had a work happy hour in Waldo, so I headed there to see him at 4:15 and pick him up.  Mama felt like a new woman.  He went to bed like a champ and didn't wake up until 4AM on Friday morning, ate and then right back to sleep so mom and dad could pack for their trip to Iowa.  Woke up at 7:15, ate and puked up his medicine on mom (this is a common occurrence now) and then off we went to meet Papa Rog for our 6 hour long drive!!  Quite the day.  With just 3 stops...(haha) we made it in a good time and Charlie had a GREAT time meeting his great grandma and great grandpa.  I got some video with both of them, but no pictures - YET.  That's a must do for tomorrow. 

Watching him roll over...then TRYING to get back.  So cute.

TWINS!

I'm still pretty sick and it sucks that I cannot take much medicine...BUT I am finding some natural cures that kind of work.  This whole Nedi pot?!?  I have been trying that.  But I will say - Jimmy needs to get back to this hotel room now with some lotion Kleenex.  I have been blowing my nose non-stop with not-soft stuff and I look like Rudolph!!  So sick mom is in bed in the dark hotel room blogging while baby Charlie is sound asleep and Jimmy and my dad are off at the Alta basketball game.  I think this is my cue to go to sleep to rest up for more family time tomorrow!!

In sad news, I'm just broken apart completely at this tragedy in Connecticut.  I started typing this "self pity" blog post earlier in the day and as I'm finishing it up at night I'm sitting here with an aching heart.  You better believe that I held Charlie extra close all night long and let him fall asleep on my chest just because I wanted him to be close to me.  So many prayers and thoughts go out to all the families that were affected.  Those that lost their children...I cannot even fathom.  It pains me to even think about that.  And those who's children were witnesses...their lives and innocence will never be the same.  And those whose mom/dad/uncle/aunt/daughter/son/etc. was an adult victim...I'm praying for you.  

All of that makes me thankful that I'm sick as a dog lying 5 feet away from my sweet sick son.  Life is so precious.