What a Love.

So, lately, this blog has been all things Charlie.  And while I'm sure you can understand my obsession with my darling baby, let's not forget baby #1 - Carter.  That boy is something else.  Too much like his momma when it comes to stubbornness and a tendency to talk back... which makes him crazy difficult for me to deal with, but so incredibly easy to love.

My boy has an incredible sweetness and is so incredibly affectionate.  He doesn't care who is watching.  He doesn't yet need to put on a show for his friends.  He just loves us - unabashedly and completely.  Yesterday, I drove him to school for the very first time this year (he usually rides the bus).  I gave him and hug and a kiss and watched him walk from the parking lot to the front of the school.  A few steps from the car, and he turned and yelled, "Another hug and kiss?" He proceeded to blow kisses to me the rest of the way to the door.  Can you believe the sweetness?  I know that the day of all this affection drawing to an end is probably nearing... he is growing up so fast and it is hard to believe that someday he won't want me to hold him and snuggle him and give him "one more" hug and kiss.  But, for now, I'll just enjoy it.  What a little love bug.

Project: Bottle

Charlie is a stubborn little guy.  He knows that if he holds out long enough, he doesn't really have to take a bottle.  If a babysitter or Chris are with him, he'll cry, refuse the bottle until he falls asleep... or until I come home.  No fun for anyone.  It usually isn't a big deal.  I don't have much going on outside the home that takes longer than an hour or so, so it has been almost a month since our last bottle attempt (a miserable FAIL).  But, with a trip back to Phoenix just around the corner, and a 56-hour getaway -without kids- in December, I know it is about time he starts taking the bottle on occasion.  Preferably without tears.

Chris tried this morning.  No luck.  I tried a while later.  YES!  He took it!  My excitement was short-lived when I realized that if I am the only one who he will accept a bottle from, it hardly solves the problem.  Sigh.  Looks like we'll need to try again in the morning.

Trick-or-Treat!

Halloween has never been a big deal to Carter.  He doesn't care much about dressing up in costumes.  Candy doesn't really impress him (I know!! So strange!).  Walking around the block usually makes his lazy side appear.  As you can see, Halloween just really hasn't been his thing.  I figured this year would be just like years past - he would visit a half-dozen homes, complain of being tired and come on home... but, no!  Our little man surprised us all by getting into the Halloween spirit.  He was so excited to go trick-or-treating, mostly to figure out which homes his school friends live in, I think.  Chris took him on a tour of the neighborhood and he returned with quite a nice stash - he even shared his only Butterfinger with me.  Sweet boy.

The absolutely cutest thing?  After he got home, he parked himself on our freezing cold porch with the bucket of candy to pass out to the Trick-or-Treaters.  Instead of waiting for them to come up to our house, he called out to anyone he could see, "Hey!!!!! Kids! Come up here and get some candy!"  He even reported that one girl gave him a hug (let that be a lesson - chocolate makes girls like you!).  We finally had to pull him inside to go to bed, with much protest.  He was just sure that there were more kids that needed his candy.  I love this kid.

 Luigi Carter, eating his Halloween dinner

Before Trick-or-Treating

No cute stories about Charlie's first Halloween night - he was fast asleep by 6:30pm.  I'm lucky I even got one picture with his Angry Bird hat on!  I hope your Halloween was as fun as ours was!

Happy Halloween!

I like to torment my family by making them be in lots and lots of pictures.  Chris and Carter are used to it, and just give me a little eye-roll and sigh.  Charlie, on the other hand, is the main participant in 99% of my photos these days.  For the most part, he just sits/lies there.  Doesn't move much, doesn't complain.  Until now.  Obviously, this was my own fault, but I just had to take one of those baby-in-a-pumpkin photos that all the cool kids are doing now.  First mistake?  Cut the hole too small.  Then, we made it bigger and tried again.  Still too small.  Repeat. Again.  Seriously?!  My child is ginormous!  He needs a super-sized pumpkin for this kind of activity.  Thankfully, my pumpkin-carving professional mom was on hand to help, being supervised by my dad.  Good times for everyone.  Well, except Charlie.  Poor kid... he was doing great the first 3 or 4 tries, but finally gave up and started screaming just when we finally made it the right size to fit his chubby body.  Did I stop and wait until later?  Of course not.  What fun would that have been?  He may end up needing therapy, but I think I captured the best Halloween moment EVER.

The Pumpkin Patch

Grandma Joy and Granddad came for a visit this past weekend.  It was WONDERFUL to see them!  It has been quite an adjustment for me to be living so far from my parents.  When I was a new mom to Carter, my mom was around regularly.  She is one of the most helpful people you'll ever meet - she does dishes, vacuuming, cooking, and on and on - and was so great in helping me adjust to motherhood.  This time around, I don't have her just a short drive away.  A few hours on a plane just isn't the same, you know?  Lucky for me, my mom and dad are able to visit fairly often, but it still felt like forever since their visit 2 months ago.  Charlie has grown and changed dramatically since he was just barely 3 weeks old.  I think they hardly recognized my big boy!

Our favorite part of the weekend was a trip to a nearby pumpkin patch.  We have gone to the desert-style pumpkin patches in AZ, but they were nothing in comparison to this!  Bizi Farms had a cider press, corn/feed grinder for the kids to use, hay bale maze, corn maze, pumpkin "launch"/slingshots, hayrides, pony rides, petting farm, pony rides... it was seriously amazing.  We took the hayride out to the pumpkin patch and picked out 5 fabulous pumpkins (Chris has quite an eye for this!).  It was nice and chilly, but not rainy at all.  A perfect way to spend time with our super-loved Grandma and Granddad.  I think Charlie had the best time of all - Grandma carried him around in the wrap all morning.  Soooo comfy!

3 Months Old

Little Charlie, what a beautiful boy you are!  You have had a fantastic 3rd month of life, and are learning and growing faster than I ever thought possible.

• You are obese very healthy!  Today, you weighed in at 17lbs, 3oz. Whoa. 
• You are sleeping like a CHAMP!  You go to bed at about 7pm and don't wake up until around 5am to eat, then back to sleep until around 8:30.
• You are in love with your thumb.  It soothes you in your crib and entertains you in the car.
• You find your hands to be quite fascinating - you stare and stare at them while you slowly move each finger.  
• Your favorite toy is a little stuffed monkey.  You could look at him all day and give him the sweetest smiles.
• You love to be carried around in the wrap.  Anything that keeps you superclose to momma is a good thing!
• Putting yourself to sleep has become easier and easier.  We snuggle you, kiss you, and tell you goodnight... and you usually let us leave the room without too much protest.
• Big huge smiles and *almost* giggles are our favorite things.  You always have extra smiles for Carter.
• The way you break away in the middle of nursing, just to give me an ear-to-ear grin is so very precious.
• The bouncer is lots of fun.  You hang out and play while I'm cooking or folding laundry, and watch the waterfall and birds intently.
• Toys are finally becoming interesting.  You love to lay in the "baby gym" and touch the hanging toys.
• Tummy-time is lots of fun!  As long as we put some interesting toys in front of you, you'll hang out on your stomach for quite some time.
• You love to walk outside.  Taking Carter to/from the bus seems to be one of your favorite things to do.  You are so focused on the trees, and love feeling the fresh air.
• Old MacDonald is your favorite song.  You smile SO big every time I sing it.
• Your eyes are still blue.  I'm starting to think they might actually stay this color! 
• You have the smallest patch of hair on the nape of your neck that hasn't fallen out.  Otherwise, you are pretty much bald. 
• The carseat is your least favorite place to be.  Lucky for you, we keep the car trips to a minimum these days.
• Your sweet personality is starting to come out - you are such a happy and content baby.  How lucky are we?

My Grandma Jan kindly pointed out that I haven't been posting many pictures of my darling baby boy... and that is something that needs to be rectified promptly!  Enjoy this moment captured of little Charlie -

Perspective.

Charlie has a little sniffle.  Nothing major, just enough for me to want to give him extra sleep and snuggles and keep that awful nose-aspirator handy, just in case.  A little cold is hardly blog-worthy, usually, but today it felt so different.  I had this moment of incredible thankfulness.  I am thankful that all I have to deal with is a cold.  The worst injury Carter has ever sustained only required a couple of stitches.  No big deal.  My two boys are healthy and happy and have such very minor complications in their lives, so far.  How very blessed are we?

Yesterday, I was introduced to the blog of a seriously amazing mother, Courtney Roth.  Her sweet boy has a condition called Epidermolysis Bullosa.  Her son, Tripp, has an incredibly difficult and painful life, and somehow she manages to be positive and see the best in the situation that has been given to them.



How often do I complain or get caught up in the "difficulties" of our life?  Too often.  Especially considering our life is pretty amazing.  Yet, here is a woman who was told that her precious child probably wouldn't even survive his first year, giving all of her love and energy so selflessly, day in and day out.  There are probably few easy days for her and Tripp.  And there are so few hard days for our family.  We are so incredibly blessed to have been entrusted with the care of these two perfect boys.  I need to take a lesson from Courtney and remember to enjoy the blessings I have.  Every single day.  Because I have no idea how long I have to enjoy them.

If you want to read more about Courtney and Tripp, or to vote for them to win a feature in Reader's Digest to spread the word about his condition and $25,000 for the cause (she's in the lead right now, and every vote will help keep her there!), please click HERE.

Just a little reminder to hug your babies (or mine! They love extra hugs!) and be extra thankful for the blessings in your life.