CARTER IS 16 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

CARTER IS 15 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

A WACKY TACKY FALL FESTIVAL

Our church had their annual Fall Festival today and the theme was “Wacky Tacky.” There were lots of outdoor games for the little kids to play, a face painting booth and a jumpolene. Carter went on his first hayride and managed to sneak a few handfuls of hay into his mouth before I could stop him. Everyone thought Carter was cute in his mismatched wacky-tacky outfit and they particularly loved his giraffe hat. Carter also had his face painted for the first time. This was done at the request of Hannah who begged me several times to let him get it done. Together we decided to get balloons painted on his cheek. Carter fussed a few times about being held down, but mostly he sat still while Mrs. April painted his face. For supper we had a hot dog cookout and steamy chicken stew. Late in the evening there was a bonfire; however, we didn’t spend much time outside because it was so chilly.

CARTER IS 14 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

A TALE OF TWO CUBS

I snuck into my Little Bear Cub's room tonight to check on him and discovered that he had fallen asleep with his arm tightly wrapped around his big brown bear. So cute! I love the way his little behind is stuck up in the air and how his ankles are crossed. This toy is very soft and cuddly. Carter loves to hug, kiss and wrestle with him. I had to turn on the hallway light to get these pictures because his room was way to dark even for my newer camera. 

STROLLING DOWN MAIN

Mom, Carter and I went to the pumpkin patch this morning and afterward we went for a stroll down Main Street. Mom and I were interested in window shopping and we had been discussing taking a trip downtown for several weeks. We had a great time strolling down the sidewalk looking at the window displays and stepping inside the various stores for a closer look. 

I think that my favorite store was the candy store.  I had never been in there before and I was really impressed with how nice it was.  It was a lot like an old-timey general store complete with creaky wooden floors, old fashioned toys and handmade candy.  Yum!  Actually, I'm assuming that the candy tasted good because I didn't actually buy any.  I sure did want to though!  Carter also really liked the candy store and he flirted the whole time with the store clerk.  He thought she was so nice and I believe that she thought he was adorable in his giraffe hat and outfit. 

We had lunch in town at a little cafe called Noah's Kitchen and the food was very delicious. Mom had been wanting to eat there for some time and I'm glad that we did.  It was nice to eat in a different restaurant than we normally do and I look forward to going back there again someday.

Later on in the day we walked past the Police Department and a nice officer enthusiastically invited us to come in. He was in charge of the local DARE group and he was very excited to see us (mainly Carter who he thought was very cute). He noticed that I had a camera and he wanted me to take a picture of Carter and the pig statute. (Funny!) The officer was very nice to us and he gave Carter a Junior Police badge before we left. 

THE PUMPK'N PATCH

Mom and I got up early this morning to take Carter to the pumpkin patch at a local farm. He was very cranky throughout the whole trip, but I still managed to get some cute pictures. Farmer Bodenheimer even gave Carter a little pumpkin "just his size." I tried to dress Carter appropriately for these pictures and even put the newsboy hat on him that I just purchased at The Children's Place. After we left the pumpkin patch, we had breakfast at Biscuitville wherein Carter caked himself with a jelly biscuit courtesy of my mother. (Ha! Ha! Thanks Mom! LOL...) Once we finished eating, we went home and cleaned Carter up. Then, we went for a stroll down Main Street for the rest of the afternoon.

LAUNDRY HELPER

APPLE FESTIVAL

This afternoon Carter and I went with our family to the Apple Festival. It took us about 1.5 hours to get there. There were a lot of people at the Festival, so we parked our automobiles at the courthouse and rode in by tram. Carter liked this because he got to sit on my lap for the drive over which is something he's never done before. Our group got separated into two parts for several minutes, but it wasn't long before we were reunited. One of the first things we did was eat lunch which consisted of the typical greasy spread... homemade potato chips and gigantic sandwiches topped with cheesy fries, onions, steak, fried shrimp and the kitchen sink. It sounds gross, but the sandwiches were actually pretty good. A cold jug of lemonade helped us pack it all down. A sweet older man (aka "Grandpa") gave us a funnel cake and we devoured it. I packed Carter a peanut butter sandwich with a handful of Cheerios and he was very content to eat that. There was a petting zoo on location which had the sweetest goats, sheep, baby rabbits, duck, pig and baby cow. I was excited to bring Carter in the pen to touch them, but he howled when the animals brushed up against his arms, hands and chubby cheeks with their long tongues to get a good lick of his peanut butter remnant. Yummm....they thought he tasted so good! The animals were so gentle, but Carter didn't care - he wanted me to GET HIM OUT OF THERE!!! It was a beautiful autumn day to be outside - very sunny with beautiful blue skies and a pleasant breeze. The only time I felt hot was when I stopped to think about it. A lot of craft booths had been set up to buy homemade goods so there was a lot to see and do. Matthew paid $5.00 for each of my nieces and nephews to go on horse rides. I would have paid to let Carter ride a little pony, but since he cried so hard at the petting zoo, I figured I'd better save my money. Mom, Rachel and I got angry because the "horse" people told us we couldn't take pictures of our kids. They wanted us to pay an additional $3.00 for one photo taken on their cheap cameras of each kid. What a scam! We took our own pictures anyway by trying to hide behind the trees. Now that I think about it, this was not a very good lesson to teach the kids. Oh well! At least we got some pictures. My favorite pictures are the ones taken of the kids climbing in the trees while we were hiding out. After we left the Apple Festival, we stopped for supper at a little pizzeria which had the best food - including the best homemade bread warm from the oven. It was sooo good. Carter and I ate manicotti and a salad. After supper the two of us conked out in Mom's car for the 1.5 hour drive back home.

T-R-O-U-B-L-E

RUB-A-DUB I'VE GOT 3 STRANGE DUCKS IN MY TUB

MY HEART 4-EVER

CARTER IS 13 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

AFTER A LONG DAY

BAD TEMPER + CONCRETE ENTRANCE = BAD ACCIDENT

Carter and I were having a great time this morning. We both woke up in a good mood. The sun was shining and the birds were singing. I spent the morning on the floor with him doing lots of "rough and tumble" play. Carter also walked/took lots of steps at different times this morning. (He just started walking yesterday.) He ate his breakfast and I gave him a bath. Late in the morning I packed his diaper bag and my camera gear so that we could spend the day with Grandma. After getting everything and everyone ready, I put Carter on the living room floor with a toy and a bottle so that I could run our things out to the car. Well, this made Carter angry because he didn't want me to leave him behind. I could see that he was having a temper tantrum and I made sure that the glass front door was tightly latched behind me...or so I thought. I went as fast as I could because I could hear him crying behind me (I actually ran to the car). When I got to the car, I threw all the stuff into the front seat, and then locked and shut the car door. By the time I spun around I could see Carter pushing the glass door open and trying to crawl between the door and the door post. Before I could get to him, Carter became wedged, lost his balance and slammed his face into the outside concrete entrance way. His nose was bleeding and he now has a really bad abrasion on his forehead. He was crying so hard he couldn't breath. My poor sweet baby! I held and rocked him until he stopped crying. I then let him call Grandma and "tell" her all about it over the phone.

CHASING SHADOWS

UPWARD AND ONWARD

Carter walked four steps this afternoon at daycare.  According Miss Amber and Miss Jennifer, his teachers, a toy walker that he was pushing across the floor rolled away from him.  Carter stood there, looked at the toy and then took four steps to retrieve it.  I was excited to hear that he had walked four steps when I picked him up at daycare this evening, but I also felt sad that I had not been there to see it.  I want to be present whenever Carter reaches any milestone.  I have to keep reminding myself that I did get to see Carter walk 1 1/2 steps several weeks ago at my mother's house - so technically I did get to see him take his first steps although at that time they were a little bit forced.

{9/11} I REMEMBER...

The morning of 9/11 I remember standing in the kitchen in my pj's. I answered the phone when Uncle Mike called and said that "we were under attack." I can still remember the feeling of total disbelief and the following sickness I felt in my stomach. I also felt a little panic because I didn't know what else was in store for our nation...or worse yet, my family. I quickly passed the word along to everyone one else at home. For hours, days, weeks and months afterwords my eyes were glued to the TV and so was everyone around me. It was all that anyone could talk about. The attacks were so surreal then and when I watch a video of it now I feel the same way. Living through 9/11 truly impacted my life in a negative and positive way. For once I felt that our country was unsafe on a very wide scale. Our freedom is something to cherish. The attacks showed me on a personal level that even Americans are not immune to the world's evil. While it was a very unsettling time in my life, it was also a time of coming to the realization of just how many good people are still out there. With the attacks also came such humanity...so much compassion, empathy and a giving on oneself for the sake of another. It is times like this that make me so proud to be an American.

BECOMING DOMESTICATED

These pictures were taken at my mother's house. Carter is learning to feed himself with a spoon.  He's only been practicing for about 1 1/2 weeks now, but I think that he's doing well.  He is required to feed himself at daycare and I've been letting him practice at home too. Carter is also doing a great job of drinking out of a sippy cup.  He is still getting a bottle when he wakes in the morning, at nap time and sometimes in the evening. I would like to have him completely weaned from his bottles by Christmas.

BREAKING NEWS STORY: RECKLESS DRIVER/STUNTMAN SURVIVES AUTO ACCIDENT!!!

News Watch Warning: 

"A young dare devil was involved in an automobile accident on the daycare playground this afternoon when he attempted to stand up/climb out/jump out of his moving vehicle. He survived the accident, but he did sustain some minor bumps, bruises and abrasions. Injuries to other persons at the scene were not reported. Ms. Mary, the injured subject's teacher and an eyewitness at the scene, said that she did see the driver shed some tears and cry uncontrollably although he appeared to look like he was going to make it. Ms. Mary also stated, "He is a reckless driver!" Therefore, the authorities are advising anyone living or playing in the vicinity of the crime scene to keep a watchful eye out for this dare devil stuntman less they desire to become the next victim. The driver's name is Carter McKinley and according to the authorities this is his 1st automobile accident (but certainly not his last). Mr. Carter was released today into his mother's care. He is at large in the community and it is unknown when he will attempt this stunt again. Women and children are advised to stay off of the playground until further notice. Mr. Carter is short in stature. He weighs approximately 19 lbs 6 oz. His dark brown eyes and black hair are dead giveaways to his identity. No other details of the accident are available at this time."

CRY BABY

MOUNTAIN CLIMBER

I was resting on the sofa this afternoon with my eyes closed. I could hear Carter playing on the floor beside me and I knew that he was safe...or so I thought. He's never tried to climb the stairs in our home before, so I was really surprised to find him on the stairs when I opened my eyes. He was standing on the third step and grinning from ear to ear. *Sigh* I guess that my little man now thinks that he is a mountain climber.

Today is Labor Day, 2010.

A NEW SCHOOL

Carter started daycare this morning at Fxxxxxxn Pxxxt Education Center.  It is a 5 star establishment and sooo much nicer than his old daycare. His teachers seem really nice and the facility reminds me of a preschool or kindergarten building. When I picked him up today his teachers told me that he had a great day and was very cheerful all day long. Carter got to play outside, sleep on a cot and eat his breakfast and lunch at the little toddler table in his classroom.

CARTER'S 1ST BEE DAY

The Big O-N-E!

YIPPEE!!! CARTER IS 12 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

A SET OF EARS FOR LITTLE BEAR CUB

Carter has an ear infection and he needed a pair of ears that didn't hurt while his old set is being fixed. So, I dug out these old ears from the back of his closet to tide him over until he starts to feel better. They seem to help his ears when they are so painful. As soon as I put the hat on him, he stopped crying. The hat was working great until the very end when his Tylenol started to wear off. I ended up re-medicating him and putting him to sleep in his swing. He's been so fussy and mean this week. In addition to his ears hurting, he's also been teething. Yikes! Carter has four teeth coming in right now - two on the top and two on the bottom. In the pictures you can see him showing his mean bear teeth, LOL. Poor Little Bear Cub!

I got the idea for the hat from my own childhood. One time when I was a little girl I had a bad ear infection so I put on a knitted baby hat with ear flaps which provided immediate relief. I'm not really sure why it helps, it just does.

The Elephant  

Has a Bad Earache  

The elephant has a bad earache. 

The centipede stubbed all his toes. 

The giraffe has developed a nasty sore throat 

and the rhino can't breathe through his nose. 

The mockingbird has an unclear ache. 

The lion's so hoarse he can't roar. 

The hog cannot eat, as his tummy's upset, 

and the parrot can't talk anymore. 

The doe has a pain in the deer ache. 

Just what should the beast doctor do? 

The duck is so sick she can't possibly float. 

It's a really bad day at the zoo. 

by Denise Rodgers

THE NIGHT BEFORE CAKE SMASH

ON THE BRINK OF BECOMING 1

DADDY TIME

EXPLORER

CLAPPING TO THE BEAT

Carter was clapping his hands to the music as the choir sang in church this morning. This was the first time I’ve seen him do this in church.  He has changed so much in just a short time. Carter notices everything and is now actively participating in what goes on around him.

COUNT DOWN

This morning I was in a hurry to get us both ready for the day.  Carter was busy playing with the buttons on his swing and I was standing in front of the mirror brushing my hair.  A couple of minutes passed and I realized that everything around me was quiet.  When I looked over at the baby, he was standing up without any support.  I quickly started counting the seconds.  1…8…15…22…30!  If my calculations are correct, he stood up without holding onto anything for at least 30 seconds before plopping down on his padded behind thus beating his current record of like 5 seconds. 

WHILE YOU WERE SLEEPING

FIRST STEPS

Yay! Carter walked 1 1/2 steps today!!! Carter and I were in the living room at Mom's house. We went there this afternoon after church. Anyway, Mom was holding Carter and she was trying to get him to walk a couple of feet over to Rachel. Mom stood him up on the floor, got him steady and then gave him a little push forward.  He took 1 1/2 steps forward and then fell down. We all clapped our hands, congratulated him and told him what a big boy he was...then he burst into tears. I guess he was scared by all of the hoopla and a little sad and mad. He must have had a certain date in mind to do this and we destroyed his plans.

OH NO!!! WHAT'S THAT NOISE?

I’ve been working on getting everything ready for Carter’s birthday for several weeks now.  On the weekends we have been spending hours at Mom’s house doing various craft projects. This morning we didn’t leave her house until 2:00 a.m.  I was so exhausted and was having a difficult staying awake. It is about a 35 minute drive between our two houses.  Carter was in the back seat drinking his bottle and drifting back to sleep - or so I thought.  We were halfway home when I started hearing strange noises from behind me.  It sounded unusual at first and I was slowly going through all of the records in my mind trying to figure out what it was.  I was half asleep and my mind was not working at full capacity when all of a sudden it dawned on me that maybe Carter was choking!  But on what??? Panic set in as I reached behind me to feel his face in the dark.  When I touched him he made the noise again.  So strange. It sounded like a clicking noise.  Perhaps he was choking on a piece of a plastic bag? Or maybe he was intentionally making those noises.  So instead of pulling over, I clicked my tongue and guess what? So did he! I clicked my tongue again and he followed with a click.  This was so funny.  Here we were driving out in the middle of nowhere in the dark and my little boy was playing a game with me.  We continued this funny game for several minutes before he got tired and went to sleep.

A VERY HIGH CHAIR FOR HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

Carter's new high chair came in this weekend and I LOVE it! It is a Fisher Price Space Saver Chair in the scatterbug print.  It straps on to my super high bar stools and now we can eat like a real family together at the dinner table. Carter seems to like his new throne. It feels soft and plush so it must be pretty comfortable. I don't actually have a table in our home yet, but I've got one at my mother's house that I've been working to refinish.  I'll post some pics of that as soon as I have the project completed and set up in my small dining room.

BIG BOY SCHOOL

COUSIN SETH'S HOMECOMING PARTY

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JUST ONE MORE MONTH

Carter turned 11 months old today which means that in just one more month he turns 1!!! He's got two teeth that have broken through in the top front of this mouth and there are some more that are starting to appear around the bottom front.  He's been chewing like a wild dog on furniture, appliances, toys, shoes, blankets...EVERYTHING!  He can say four words now: bye bye, Mamma, Dadda and whasis (what's this).

Carter is sweet, happy, smiley and chatty most of the time. When he smiles and laughs you can see his two shiny front teeth on the bottom of his mouth. He loves it when I give him “kisses” using my chin to tickle his underarms and soft round belly.  I tell him that I think he needs “a kiss right here on this fat part.”  He laughs a deep belly laugh when I give him my special “kisses.” Carter is the closest thing my eyes have seen to an angel.  The sad thing is he doesn’t always act like an angel.  He can be downright rotten.  My baby has always had a temper and now when he doesn’t get his own way he does his ear piercing scream and throws himself down kicking his legs and beating his arms and fists into the floor. (Sigh.)  I thought this kind of behavior was not supposed to happen until he reached the “Terrible Two’s.” My little feller isn’t even 1 year old yet!  Carter has been having these little temper tantrums for the past few months, but it’s worse now that he is bigger and more mobile.  After a recent revelation that things were getting out of hand, I’ve begun the process of curbing my little darling’s bad attitude.  So far it has been kind of a painful process for both of us, but I can already see that my perseverance is paying off.

Carter is going through separation and stranger anxiety.  He’s absolutely afraid of me leaving him behind and doesn’t want even my mother or sister to hold him.  He follows me everywhere (even into the bathroom) and I tell him that he is my little shadow. When Uncle Matthew or another man (sometimes even Wilson) walks into the room he bursts into tears and clings to me in fear.  He is absolutely petrified of my brother right now.

Carter loves to be chased.  He thinks that it is especially funny when Wilson and I chase him as he makes a mad dash towards the top stair ledge on the second floor.

When he’s in the bathtub Carter loves to chew on the faucet and little handle that stops the water from draining out.  He also likes to poke his finger down into the dirty drainer and pull out the most disgusting things – hair, slime, etc...  Eww!!!  No matter how much cleaning I do, he still manages to find something from down in that hole.  I constantly have to drag him to the other end of the tub to keep him away from that area. Carter can make really big waves in the bathtub now.  I like to see his little arms get tense and straight as he slaps the water to make the waves go higher and higher.  He gets so excited and squeals in delight when he sees the water splashing midway up the walls.
  

A list of other things he can do:

• He points at interesting things to show me with his index finger
• He’s crawling really fast and getting into all kinds of trouble
• He’s pulling himself up into a standing position effortlessly and without help from me
• He’s practicing standing up with any support for a couple of seconds at a time
• He’s cruising between pieces of furniture that are positioned close together

CARTER IS 11 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

WALKING & LEAPING & PRAISING GOD

Everyone who's acquainted with Carter knows that he loves to bounce. He truly is a "bouncy baby boy."  Anyway, Wilson came over for his bi-weekly visit tonight and the two of them went bouncing (leaping) around the living room. Today he sung a new song to Carter called "Silver and Gold Have I None."  It goes like this:

Peter and John went to pray,

They met a lame man on the way
He asked for alms and held out his palms
And this is what Peter did say

“Silver and gold have I none,
But such as I have give I thee.
In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
Rise up and walk!”

He went walking and leaping
And praising God,

Walking and leaping and praising God.

“In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth,
Rise up and walk!”

Carter really looked like he was leaping and he laughed and laughed as Wilson bounced him around the room. He thinks his Daddy is great fun and he loves it when Wilson plays a little rough with him. Wilson and I sing lots of Bible songs to Carter because we want to fill his young mind with good information that will be of use to him in the future. Songs are easy to learn and remember.  I still remember many songs that I learned in Sunday School and VBS.  I believe that even simple Bible songs have a lesson to learn.

Proverbs 22:6 says, "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it."

LOOK FOR THE BEAR NECESSATIES...

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries
and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
That's why a bear can rest at ease
With just the bare necessities of life

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ALMOST TOO BIG

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DADDY RIDES & RACES

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JUST LIKE SKUNK SPRAY

Carter spit up on me twice this morning - all down the front of my dress and even in my hair. Eeew!!!  I washed it all off with a washcloth, but I still smell like spit up.  Now I'm at work and feeling so disgusting.  Tomme, my friend and co-worker, stated that baby spit up is "just like skunk spray and it will linger until it fades away."

INDEPENDENCE DAY part 2

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Home of the Brave

by Roger Robicheau

Through the feel of war they

brave this day
How proud they stand,

their unselfish way

Our soldiers bear what we cannot see
They assure our right to live life free

Each trained will face an unknown fate
Our support they need, don’t hesitate

Just imagine how this land would be
Without their courage - catastrophe

All the liberties we have grown to know
Would not exist, this life would go

Find a thankfulness within your mind
Speak gratitude for our bravest kind

Have the willingness to show you care
For fallen heroes, hold back no tear

Reach out to God with his guiding light
For our troops do pray,

both day and night

America raise your flags to wave
For we truly are 'home of the brave'

©2003Roger J. Robicheau

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This 4th of July was pretty uneventful. We didn't even get to see the fireworks. However, we did go to Matthew's house for a BBQ today after church and it was nice to spend some quiet time with my family. While Matthew and Mom were cooking, I was outside taking pictures of the kids. Matthew's kids are getting so big now. They fight over who gets to hold, feed or sit beside Carter. They adore him and they think that anything he does is so funny. Sometimes Carter and his cousins create a stir in church when they are supposed to be sitting still. (Sigh!) So far I've not had much success at getting Carter to be quiet during church services. Why should he sit still? He has a large adoring audience who think he's the cat's meow.

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Jonathan (almost 10),

Hannah & Savannah (almost 9),

Dillon (6) and Carter (10 months)

INDEPENDENCE DAY part 1

I took these pictures of Carter today at the pretty gazebo across from the Methodist church near the Fairgrove Fire Department and elementary school. This is his 10 month photo shoot. It was a beautiful evening, but so hot. It's been a super hot summer this year. I usually only take Carter outside to play early in the morning or late in the evening. Rachel went with us and assisted me in the process.  She's really learning how to be a good "photography assistant." 

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Carter is such a funny little guy.  At 10 months old he is getting into everything. Gone are the days of planting him in one spot and walking away to do a chore. He can move so fast now and I have to really supervise him. He is crawling and pulling himself up on furniture, large toys, etc...

I'm in the process of trying to get him to drink from a sippy cup, but thus far I've not been very consistent in my training.  Carter still prefers his bottle and fusses if I give him a sippy cup.  This is going to have to change though because soon (sometime in the next 4-5 weeks) I will take his bottle completely away and start him on whole milk. 

Carter loves to laugh, squeal and shout. He's a happy little fellow and he talks constantly in baby language.  I think he gets this from his Daddy, but maybe a little bit of it comes from me too! LOL.

One funny thing that he does is he picks up each one of his toys and talks to it, chews it, plays with it and then throws it down and goes to the next one.  He really loves his toys and plays with all of them every day.

Carter has started taking his baths in the regular bathtub which he loves.  He gets on his belly and kicks his legs, which reminds me of a tadpole or large frog.  I think his practicing his "butterfly stroke" - cute!!!

Carter loves it when Daddy plays with him.  They wear each other out.  Daddy flies Carter around the room like an airplane and sings "As God as my pilot I will fly safely home, fly safely home, fly safely home..." Carter loves this song and fun ride and he squeals in delight.

Carter is desperate to learn to walk.  It's so much fun to watch him hold onto my hands as he walks, trots, skips and jumps as we go around the room. He has a funny little quirky walk and it reminds me of Hitler's solders - remember how they swung their legs high into the air? This is what Carter looks like....so adorable!

Carter is changing so fast and I can hardly believe that he's almost a year old.  Time has gone by so quickly.  As I type this I'm crying softly that my little baby is almost a toddler.  I can say with all honesty that this has been the absolute best year of my life. Watching Carter grow has been an amazing and life changing experience.  I never want this special time to end.  I love my little man with all of my heart and I want to relish every moment with him.  I guess this is why I take so many pictures - it's because I'm so afraid that my memory will fade and I will be left to live the rest of my life not remembering what Carter was like as a little boy.

SICK AGAIN

Carter is sick again.  This time it appears to be a cold. Last night he was so snuggly and cuddly - very unlike his usual self (although I enjoyed it).  This morning after drinking his bottle he fell back asleep while I was getting ready for work.  I don't think he slept very well last night.  I heard him moving about in his crib very early this morning and he started crying to get up around 5 am.  He's not running a fever, so I dropped the poor little feller off at daycare. I'll probably pamper him tonight and then put him to bed early.

STANDING TALL

Tonight I was playing with Carter on our living room floor and watching him crawl around after his toys. I decided that it would be a good time to take a video of him crawling and got my camera. As the camera was "rolling," Carter crawled over to the ottoman and stood up! Just like that...as if he had being doing so all his life. He had been pulling himself up on objects that are below the height of his waist, but tonight was the first time he was able to pull himself up on such a large item. Later that evening (after he had gone to bed) I opened his bedroom door a crack to peek in to see if he was sleeping and there he was - standing up and chewing on the top crib rail. I ran to grab my camera and when he saw me through the door he started to cry as if his heart was going to break. He was crying so hard he was gasping for air and his little body was trembling. Crying for Mommy is getting to be a nightly event for us. I try not to pick him up when he does this, but tonight he was just so upset. After cuddling him, I ended up letting him fall asleep in his swing with a bottle and then transferred him to his crib once he had been sleeping for awhile. I think this is really becoming a bad habit.

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HOME IS WHERE YOU ARE

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CARTER IS 10 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

FATHER'S DAY

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At daycare Carter made Wilson this poem for Father's Day.  He gave the poem to his Daddy today along with the {Twirly Pop Bay} pictures I took of him several days ago. I wrapped the pictures (including one framed 8x10 picture) in packaging paper and raffia and used Carter's feet and hands to make the package pretty.  I think Wilson appreciated his gifts.

CRAWLING INTO TROUBLE

Carter has been doing the "army soldier" crawl for some time now, but this morning he started to really crawl. By the end of day, he was moving so fast. He also started putting himself into a sitting position today. He's been able to sit up, but until today I had to place him in that position. It seems like he's really changed so much in the past 30 days. In addition to crawling and sitting, he's learned to drink from a sippy cup and is eating more table foods. I still have not baby proofed the house, but I'd better hurry up and do so. This kid is getting into everything! As you can see from these pictures, he got into the planter and ate some of the dirt when I wasn't paying attention.

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WIDDLE TOOTSIES

I just wanted to take the time to document the cute way Carter sticks his toes through his blanket. I think he does this whenever his feet are sock free.  I love my little boy's funny personality.  This has been going on ever since he was a tiny newborn.  He has never liked being bound up or covered over with blankets.  Even as a little baby he would struggle to get free if I tried to swaddle him. To keep him warm in the winter I would put him in footed pajamas. Now that it is summer, Carter is really enjoying the freedom to wiggle his toes in the open air. Isn't interesting how even the tiniest humans have strong personalities?

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SICK DAY con't GRANDMA COMES

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My mom came to watch Carter today since he's still sick. This picture is of the two of them sitting on my bed.  I've been so blessed to have a mother (and sister) who care about me and are willing to help whenever I call. Carter adores his Grandma and Aunt Rachel and his face lights up whenever he sees them.

SICK DAY

Carter is sick this week. He's sick so often it's disheartening. I think that sometimes being sick so frequently has at times delayed his development. This morning he was running a fever of 103. In these pictures he had crawled up beside me (the army soldier crawl) and rested his hot little head on the large floor pillow in his nursery. After he fell asleep, I took these pictures. So cute, so sweet...

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DINNER AT GRANDMA'S

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I love these pictures of my Mom and little boy.  Carter adores his Grandma.  I thought it was cute how a dish towel was tied around Carter's waist to hold him onto the chair.  I wish my waist was small enough that a dish towel could be tied around it.  Don't you?

TWIRLY POP BAY

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I took Carter's 9 month pictures today. Rachel, my sister, was my "assistant."  I wanted to get pictures of Carter and me together. Most of the "photo shoot" went well except for a few incidences. First, Carter hated getting his feet wet in the lake and he cried.  I think the small waves (although they probably looked pretty big to him) scared him.  Secondly, he choked on a leaf or small stick and spit up his whole bottle of formula.  Thirdly, throughout the shoot he kept trying to stand up and he ended up tumbling out of his red bucket.  This made him cry and it scared me.  So, we decided to call it a day.

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At 9 months old, Carter is still working on perfecting his "army soldier" crawl and he can move fairly quickly if given the opportunity.  He wants to crawl, stand and walk like "the big boys," but he cannot figure out how to do it just yet.  Carter is pulling up on objects that are no taller than his waist.  He still refuses to drink from a sippy cup. 

He is happy and babbles constantly even when nobody is in the room with him.  He is a big talker - just like Daddy. (And Mommy too!) One of Wilson's favorite things to tell Carter is that he is a "FilAmGermSpan..."  This list can go on because of our combined lineage.  I think Wilson is very pleased that his son has such a mixed heritage.

Sometimes Carter "sings" along with me and Wilson while we're singing to him.  We think this is very cute.  Unfortunately, he's only done this a few times and I haven't been able to get it on video.  I can't wait until he starts singing along more often.  Some of my favorite songs to sing to Carter are "The B-I-B-L-E" "Jesus Loves The Little Children" "Only A Boy Named David" and "Heavenly Sunlight."  Carter seems to really like it when I sing "Only A Boy Named David" and "Jesus Loves The Little Children."  I used to sing these songs to him while he was still in my womb and I think he recognizes them and likes their familiarity. I remember several months ago signing "Only A Boy Named David" and he looked up at me with his big brown eyes and listened intently. He had an expression on his face that said, "Hey, that sounds so familiar.  I like it!" There are many other songs that I sing, and more often than not I make up my own. 

Carter gives kisses to me and Wilson. (His mouth is wide open as he slobbers all over our faces - very wet indeed!) I LOVE LOVE LOVE this.  He's kind of like a cave man...he grabs the hair on both sides of my face and pulls me to his mouth.  I say, "Ohhh! What a sweet boy!" and he says "Ohhh!" along with me while sustaining his mouth wide open kiss against my cheek or forehead.  His deep voice reminds me of Tarzan or a cave man.  There is nothing feminine about this little boy.  He's definitely no pansy. Carter is 100% all boy.

LASAGNA NIGHT

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I recently just started feeding Carter food with meat in it and tonight he had lasagna for the first time. He LOVED it! I started feeding him before Wilson came. By the time his Daddy arrived, Carter was so cheerful and happy. In fact, he laughed and laughed without any prompting from Wilson or me. It was so adorable.  I love moments like this. I thank God every day for allowing me to be Carter's mother. It's not always easy, but I wouldn't trade it for anything in this world. Right now I do not have a highchair for Carter to sit in.  This little blue chair was purchased used by my mother.  Originally it had a tray, but I never had it in my possession.  Whenever it is time to feed Carter, we strap him into this chair and place it on the floor. That's right - we feed him ON THE FLOOR! To you tell you the truth I hate it and plan to buy something better as soon as I get a little bit of money. Up until this point it has served a fairly useful purpose, but now that Carter is wanting to feed himself he will need to have something with a tray on it.

M. DILLON'S PRESCHOOL GRADUATION

Today Carter and I went to my nephew's preschool graduation. The graduates were dressed in either blue, red or white caps and gowns. They all looked so cute. Carter sat on Mom's lap while I took pictures. He kept himself busy by chewing on everyone's handouts - just like a goat! As you can see in the pictures, Dillon loves his teacher and is really going to miss being in her class at daycare/preschool.

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PLAYGROUND

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When Wilson came over for his visitation tonight, we took Carter to the neighborhood playground. Wilson helped him to swing like a "big boy."  While they played, I practiced "panning" with my camera. I also used the sun to incorporate some lens flair into some of the photos. The purpose of all this was just to practice different photography techniques.

BATH NIGHT WITH DADDY

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Carter really loves his bath time now...splashing, squealing, tasting/chewing on the faucet and playing with his bath toys. He's still taking a bath in the kitchen sink, but he's not using the little plastic folding tub anymore. He finally outgrew that thing. Tonight Wilson gave Carter a bath while I took these pictures.

M. DILLON'S 6TH BIRTHDAY

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CARTER IS 9 MONTHS OLD TODAY!!!

LEARNING TO CRAWL

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Carter is trying his very best to crawl, but he cannot get the hang of it.  He just learned to get up on his hands and knees and rock back and forth.  I can see his frustration in not being able to make his arms and legs move the way he wants them to and it's exasperating to watch try over and over again without success. I can almost hear him thinking, "Everyone else can crawl or walk, why can't I?" A part of me wants him to reach this milestone, while the other part wants to scoop him up and keep him as a little baby forever. He's growing up too fast and I find myself often feeling conflicting emotions.  I didnt' know that parenthood would be so difficult. I found this poem today and it made me cry...

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Baby Song by Diane Woolley

At first you didn't lift your head;

You didn't know to smile.
The time before you knew my voice
Seemed such a long, long while.
I couldn't wait for you to roll,
And then to sit and clap.
And now you're off and crawling,
Not helpless in my lap.

Why didn't someone tell me
How fast a baby grows,
That every little baby stage
Soon comes, but sooner goes

So I'll enjoy the fleeting time
Before you learn to walk.
And treasure every tiny noise
Before you learn to talk.

For soon you'll learn to walk,
Then run,
And talk and sing a song,
And never be my babe again.
The babe's forever gone.
Little baby, take your time,
For while you're tiny, you are mine.

MOVIE NIGHT AT GRANDMA'S

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Matthew with all of his kids, Carter and I were all Mom's house tonight just hanging out.  Mom, Hannah and Savannah watched "Anne of Green Gables" while Carter slept in his car seat.  It was a very relaxing Friday night - a perfect way to unwind after a long week.

BABY BOTTLES

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Hmmm...just wondering...how many of these do I wash in one week? How about one year?

ALYSSA'S BABY SHOWER

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My cousin Alyssa is pregnant with her first baby.  My aunt asked me to bring my camera to capture Alyssa's baby shower.  Alyssa looks so cute with her little round belly.

RELAX'N AT HOME

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Carter and I are just relaxing at home today while I play with my new camera.

THE MASTER PAINTER

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This is Carter's 1st painting.