Carson's 1 year Check-up and Stats

At 12 months, Carson is:

• Eating just table food now, and he loves to feed himself.
• Only drinking from the sippy cup, I put all bottles away last week.
• Has 4 teeth all on bottom.
• Just moved up to size 4 diapers.
• Still in 12 month size clothing, although its getting a tiny bit snug.
• In a size 3 shoe.
• Is transitioning to the Toddler room at Daycare this week.
• Loves for us to sneak up on him and "scare" him. 
• Can walk pretty fast.
• Is figuring out the doggie door.

• Loves his doggies, especially Charlie, when she lays down, he goes and pats her on the back.
• Is obsessed with playing ball, he would be happy if balls were the only toys he had, he has gotten good at rolling and throwing balls.
• Loves to walk around the yard and room to room in the house; still enjoys his swing.
• Is enjoying figuring out how to close doors, but can't reach the knob to open them yet, so he gets frustrated when he can't get back out.
• He is very interested in the bathroom scale, toilet and bath tub. He likes to throw balls and mommies stuff into the toilet and bathtub.
• Loves when I open the dishwasher and tries to grab the dishes no matter how many times I scold him.
• LOVES music and dancing, he will even dance to the lullabies on his glow worm, and to the sound of the toilet flushing. 
• Had his first birthday party last weekend and had a great time!
• Went to the Dr. for a check up and weighed 20 lbs 7 oz and is 29.25 inches tall. 

11 months old

Carson - what a character you have become:

• You keep me and Da-Da entertained constantly. 
• You have developed quite the little attitude, you get mad when we close the door b/c you love going outside, and you hate when we have to take something away from you that you are not suppose to have. 
• Heaven forbid we take your passy! I had to give you a bath the other night with it in your mouth :)
• You love your baths, some days after we get home that is the only thing I can do to make you happy. 
• You have been skipping your afternoon naps lately.
• You are getting better and better at walking, you are also getting faster. 
• You love to pick up the smallest things on the floor, I have one eye on you at all times. 
• You love to feed yourself, some of the finger foods you like now are: chicken, pork chop, potatoes, green beans, cheerios, puffs, cheese and whatever mama and da-da are eating - you walk up to us and spit your passy out to let us know you want a bite. I still feed you jar food to make sure you are getting enough to eat. Not sure how much you are throwing on the floor to share with your doggies. 
• You still don't really like the sippy cup, not sure what we are going to do when we try to wean you from the bottle.
• We have started to add a little cow's milk to your bottle to start getting you use to it, hopefully in a week or so we won't have to buy formula anymore, YAY!
• You got a new carseat last week and I think you are much more comfortable and love being able to see what is going on. I don't worry so much about you being too hot anymore now that you are facing forward.
• You now think it is extra fun to get up (for good) at 5:45 every morning; but you are so cute walking around/playing the kitchen in your PJ's while I fix your bottle and Da-Da is getting ready to leave for work, you are always in the best mood when you wake up each day. 
• You probably weigh about 20-21 pounds, are still in size 3 diapers and 12 month clothing.
• You have 2 teeth, one of which is still making its way up. I think you are about to get more soon. 
• You are a little dare-devil, you get one bruise and scratch after another :(
• You love to jump into piles of pillows and blankets. You love being naked. You really loved jumping into piles of pillows while being naked :)
• You love being chased, you even try to get the dogs to chase you. :)
• You love music, it is so cute when you bounce your knees and bootie when you hear a song.
• You do not like loud noises, it upsets you at daycare when other babies cry loudly, and you hate it when Da-Da wrestles with Chase b/c Chase barks really loud! You hate the vacuum cleaner, the blender and the lawn mower. 
• You have your 1st beach vacation coming up, I can't wait to see you play in the sand, please don't eat any!
• AND.........Your 1st Birthday party is around the corner as well, I am having so much fun planning the perfect party to celebrate you!!!!!!!! Mama loves you so much!

10 months old

Wow! What a big boy Carson has become :) He amazes us everyday and we love him so much. I am always telling Cory about smart things he does and Cory says "why are you so surprised he is smart" I am not really surprised, just excited and very proud.

Even still I hate leaving him everyday, it really hurts being away from him so much, and now that I see how much he has grown so fast, and that his "baby days" will be behind us very soon, its killing me.

He has learned so many things this past month:

• He can go from sitting to standing on his own.
• He has taken a few steps on his own.
• He waves Bye-Bye.
• He still loves his hair being combed; he knows what the comb and brush do..he places the brush on his head when he plays with it...so sweet.
• He plays peek-a-boo with his hands or other objects. It is so cute how he thinks a tiny block "hides" him. He knows exactly what to do when we say "where's Carson?"
• He says Uh-oh and Da-Da when we say it. He won't say Mama, he just laughs at me when I tell him to say it.
• He hates having his diaper/clothes changed.
• He has started to throw toys, etc...out of his pack-n-play and crib. 
• He has almost outgrown his 9 month clothing and fits better in the 12 month size.
• He tries all types of table food.
• He eats his star puffs like a champ! He is pretty good at feeding himself that and other finger foods.
• It is strange to think that we have to wean him from formula and a bottle in just 2 months. 
• When he takes his bottle, he is constantly grabbing my face, nose, lips, hair, earrings, etc...Its like he is making sure I am real. 
• He will randomly sleep all night in his crib, but whenever he does wake up, we just plop him in our bed so we all can get some sleep. I love snuggling with him. 
• He loves loves loves Dinosaur Train (PBS show), he smiles and "dances" when he hears the intro music.
• He likes any toy these days and he constantly pushes his toys around the floor...even his passy...ick! He loves blocks (more like knocking blocks over, every time I stack them he HAS TO knock them down, he can't stand it)
• He had his 1st pool experience and loved it, he likes to kick in the water and be swirled around to make waves.
• He is getting better but still hasn't mastered the sippy cup (mainly my fault for being inconsistent with it), he just wants to chew on it. But I have sent a sippy cup to daycare for him to use there and maybe they can work some magic.
• He thinks it is so funny when you put a toy or any object on top of his head.
• He loves to "run away" (crawls really fast) from us when we come around a corner to chase him, he laughs and laughs as he crawls to get away, it is so funny!
• As soon as I undress him for his bath, he bolts into the living room, like he has to go show someone that he is naked. Last night, after he bolted, he peed on the floor! It was hilarious.
• He loves baths, just not being bathed. He doesn't want anything in the way of his playing and exploring.
• He got a swing set this weekend, and loves to swing. I love going outside after dinner to swing him before bath time. 
• He is into EVERYTHING! I can't take my eye off of him for a second!
• He knows what "no" means and what "eh eh" means. He stops what he is doing immediately when I say either.
• He has one little tooth, and he loves to stick his tongue out to feel it. 

This is just before he opens the cabinet, and you can see he is feeling of his tooth.

Riding the police car at Nana's, he liked to "boogie" on that thing, he was adorable.

Standing all on his own.

Sitting on the slide at Nana's

You can see his little tooth in this one :)

First time in his swing.

Carson is 9 months old!

We have had a lot going on this month, Carson is growing like a weed, and is getting into everything. Here is what's new:

• He started crawling (the real thing, up on both knees)
• He will take steps when you hold his hands
• He tries to stand on his own, he can do it for about a second, then falls
• He pulls up and travels holding on to tables, etc...
• Teething...he is constantly chewing on his hands and passy, still no sign of teeth breaking through
• Has been playing outside a lot, he loves the grass
• Has bumped his head a few times...guess he is toughening up
• We lowered the crib to the lowest setting
• He is EXTREMELY interested in the dogs, he is constantly following them trying to grab them (Chase wants nothing to do with him, and Charlie wants to French kiss him)
• He weighs a little over 18 lbs, not sure of the inches
• He is wearing 9 months clothing and some 12 months
• He loves to be tickled on the collar bone and thighs, getting rasberries blown on him, and being thrown in the air
• He is becoming a copy cat, we repeat some of the sounds he makes and he will do it again, then if we laugh, he laughs and so on
• Still loves making noises with his tongue
• Still loves to clap, we are working on waving bye-bye
• His favorite toy is the play table Nana got him, he LOVES it
• He loves any sweet foods, and his fav veggies are squash, sweet potatoes, and green beans. Recently he has been trying small bites of pasta, gerber star puffs, biter biscuits, and toast; he is not a fan of chunky textures, but we will keep trying
• He can feed himself some finger foods
• He still takes a bottle every 4 hours and can hold it himself
• Has been Zantac-free for about 2 weeks now and doing great
• He had his first haircut this month and he did great
• I have started to think about the BIG 1st Birthday! We are 3 months away, I get a little sad thinking about my baby not being a baby. I love rocking him to sleep every night, and I hate thinking that those days are numbered. :(

  

This is the play table he loves:

8 months old

This past month has been very eventful. Carson has been doing so many new things..it is so exciting watching him grow, and I am so proud of him.

Here is what he is up to:

• He started pulling up to standing position, so we lowered the crib.
• He can go from laying down to sitting up on his own.
• He started army crawling, using his arms to pull his body.
• He blows rasberries on everything - my arm, the recliner, the dog, you name it!
• He is like a little monkey...everytime I pick him up or hold him he tries to climb to the top of my head it seems.
• Still no teeth, and no sign of any soon.
• He eats just about anything except for the plain meats in a jar, I don't blame him. I have found some meat and veggie mixes that he does like.
• He is so entertaining, Cory and I are constantly laughing at him.

Here are a few recent pics with my NEW camera!

7 months

Look at those eyes...

Sleeping in Daddy's lap, typical Saturday :)

Lovin bath time

Interested in and grabbing everything:

New and exciting things Carson does:
-Can sit up all by himself
-Rolls ALL OVER the place, he is trying to scoot, but no progress yet, just rolling to get to the toy he wants
-He claps when we clap, so sweet
-Makes noises with his tongue
-Has "big boy" baths sitting up, and loves to splash and make a big mess!
-Chews on his sippy cup (not really drinking from it yet)
-Eats baby food 3 times per day
-Sleeping much better (knock on wood)
-He is a pro with his passy
-Laughs really loud with his Daddy, but I can rarely get him to cackle like Cory does (Cory says I am not rough enough)

Growing like a weed!

Weight: 17lbs 6 oz (went to the Dr. today for a check up on his ears, he is doing good)

Food he likes:
Cereal
Green Beans
Peas
Sweet Potatoes

Pears
Squash
Applesauce
Bananas
Peaches
Prunes
Carrots

Still eats 7oz of formula every 4 hours, and goes the entire night w/out eating

Bed time is typically around 7:30 or 8 depending on the nap schedule, and he wakes us around 5:30 or 6AM.

Sizes: Clothes are still 6 months, and 6-9 months; Diapers are size 3 (currently trying the BJ's brand, they are ok)

Toys: loves anything really, still loves the jumperoo, and the fisher price colored rings, he also has a book that lights up and makes noise that he is really interested in right now

Cartoons: He loves pretty much any cartoon - I however love Super Why, Curious George, Dinosaur Train, Clifford and Sesame Street (I HATE Cailliou, Dragon Tales, Word World, these shows are SO stupid and annoying!)

No teeth yet!

6 month Dr Apt.

This one was pretty eventful. Carson was due to eat at his apt time, but was not interested in eating since he was in a different place that he doesn't see very often. So what he did get in his belly ended up all over my shirt.

Everything checked out well, his percentiles were 30-60%, all normal. Everyone calls him "chubby" b/c of his cheeks - but he weighs less than a lot of babies I know who are younger than him.

Weight: 16 lbs 12oz
Length: 26 and 3/4 inches
Can't remember the head circumference, but it was normal.

The Dr. said he wasn't anywhere near teething, that he would be late on that, possibly b/c either Cory or I was late when we cut teeth.

She also said it wouldn't be long before he would sit up on his own! Hard to believe. I asked her when babies typically learn to sit on their own and she said 7 months.

He was so funny while being examined. He reminded me of that scene in the movie Elf where the Dr. is trying to do the exam and Buddy the Elf keeps grabbing everything in site.

He had a vision test where they hooked up cords/patchy things to his head to record his brain activity, and he had to wear a pirate eye patch for the test on one eye at a time. I WISH I would have had my camera, he was so cute! His vision checked out fine.

The most shocking conversation was about a SIPPY CUP. She told me to introduce it with water in it during his evening meals. I can not believe he is old enough to start trying that! So I am going to get a couple over lunch today.

We are also going to try weaning him from the Zantac (she said babies typically grow out of the reflux at this stage). We will stop giving him the night-time dose since he sleeps and doesn't eat during the night anymore. I am scared that he still needs it, I don't want him to be in pain; but I like to follow Dr.'s orders so we will give it a try.

He did get a round of shots at the end, he cried during but as soon as I got to hold him and give him his passy he was fine.

He was so pitiful when we got home, he finally ate and then he was exhausted! As soon as I gave him his passy he closed his eyes. He didn't get a bath or eat his carrots and I didn't have the heart to make him and keep him awake. Rarely does he have tears when he cries, I knew he was tired (and probably felt crappy from his shots) so we just gave him some Tylenol and put him back to sleep. I hate it when he is not his playful, happy self. :(

He felt better this morning and he went to daycare. I did see a note that there was a case of pink eye in his class, so that is just awesome. Please pray he doesn't get it!

6 months old! Now with pictures

My baby is 6 months old today! I can’t believe that it has been ½ of a year since he arrived, I wish I could go back to that day and re-live it!

-Carson discovered his tongue and sticks it out, especially while he makes the “ta” sound.

-Making more definite sounds such as da, ga, ta, ba, gi, ga and is getting louder by the day (Cory and I heard a Da-Da in the mix last night!)

-Rolls over A LOT

-Loves his Doggies and watches them play, and reaches for them

-Loves playing on his tummy

-He can pass his toys from hand to hand

-Loves rubbing his feet together and we can’t keep socks on him at all; he also likes to put his feet in his mouth!

-He is eating sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, and cereal (tried pears but they are not good for his reflux)

-Takes 7 oz of formula every 4 hours

-No longer eats during the night, last bottle is between 6 and 8pm then he eats around 6am.

-Does not sleep through the entire night, typically we have to go in there several times to put his passy back in, and some nights lately he just decides he wants to laugh, play and talk around 1 or 2am, really fun for Mom and Dad!

-We typially find him sleeping on his belly when we go check on him at night, I think he found a new sleeping position.

-Will not leave his pacifier alone! He is constantly taking it out and putting it back in (and actually puts it back in correctly)

-He is very ticklish ALL OVER

-Not sitting up quite yet

-I am unsure of how much he weighs, he has a Dr. Apt on 2/11 so we will see then. My guess is about 17 lbs.

-Eyes are staying blue! And hair is still blonde, it is getting SO long, we plan to get it cut soon.

-Toys he loves: Jumperoo, the remote control, Elmo, plush blocks (especially the one that makes the “paper crunch” sound, and anything he can get in his mouth)

-Clothes: Wearing 6 mo. Sizes

-I love that he sort-of hugs me when I pick him up, its so sweet.

-I love picking him up from Daycare, when he hears my voice and sees me in the afternoon he gets really excited and laughs like PeeWee Herman! Its hilarious!

5 Months

My baby is 5 months old today! He has changed so much this month.

-He is very active and wants to be independent :(
-Likes to sit in the corner of the couch and play
-He loves the bumbo, high chair, and and MAINLY the Jumperoo
-Does not like the swing and bouncy seat anymore
-He eats banana cereal from a spoon and still is a little unsure about it
-Takes 7 oz every 3 hours
-Sleeps 1/2 the night in his crib and the other 1/2 with mama and daddy
-He is very ticklish all over and laughs a lot
-Still loves the TV
-He talks a lot, his favorite word is Ahhhhhh, he now says the ba sound and I heard a da as well
-Loves to hold toys and put them in his mouth
-Still has a lot of blonde hair (its almost time for a CUT)
-Still has blue eyes
-Weighs about 14 lbs and is 25.5 inches long
-He has rolled over a few times but we still haven't witnessed it
-He is now aware of Chase and Charlie and watches them play
-Fits into size 2 diapers and 6 month clothing (can still squeeze into 3-6 mo)

This is his hair after a bath before we comb it

Sitting in the bumbo playing

First time in the high chair

4 Months

My baby turned 4 months old yesterday, where has the time gone?

He is feeling much better by the way (please see previous post). I am terrified to take him back to daycare. I miss the days when I was complaining about their rules, now I would give anything for that to be my biggest concern.

Anyway, here is what he is doing at 4 months:

Food/eating: Still formula (normally about 6 oz every 4-5 hrs), I'm not trying solids until he gets over the bronchilitis.

Weight: 13 lbs, I thought he was 15+, but he may have lost a bit since he hasn't been eating due to being sick.

Hair color: blonde

Eyes: blue, sometimes look green

Clothing size: 3 months or 3-6 months

Favorite toys: anything he can grab and put in his mouth, TV of course

Funny/cute things he does: oohs and ahhs for minutes at a time; covers his face when he is sleepy, and studies his hands

Milestones: Discovered his voice and is using it! He really wants to roll over but just can't quite seem to tip over while trying. He can lift his upper body like a mini push up when you place him on his belly. He follows people around the room with his eyes.

Favorite Show: still sesame street

Favorite book: any book

Sleeping: currently sleeping with us and waking up once or twice b/c he is sick. Should be really fun breaking him of this habit in the upcoming weeks.

3 months

Now that I am back at work, I have been blog reading more. I love reading about Addison's growth (The Strickland Family blog) and I got to thinking...I need to document more about Carson.

He turned 3 months old yesterday! I think he is finally getting on a routine, just in time for daycare.

-He seems to want his 1st bottle of the day around 8 or 8:30, which helps me know what time to get him to daycare (don't want him starving on the way and was worried about this). From then on he eats every 4 hours unless his nap runs over. Question for moms - do you wake your babies from naps to feed them, I never have..but was wondering if it helps keep them on a schedule or if it makes them mad??????

-He goes to bed around 8 or 9; wakes for a feeding at 2:30. I put him in bed with me around 5, then he sleeps until 7:30 or so. He talks to me while I put my make-up on and watches Clifford. Then I go to work and Nana or Grandmother keep him, daycare starts next Monday.

-At 9AM he watches Sesame Street and laughs at it..so cute, not sure why some people are Nazis about babies watching TV...uhmmm HELLO its good COLORFUL stimulation and is not hurting them.

-He LOVES to stand up on my lap, so we broke out the cute jumperoo, and he likes it, its so funny watching him bounce a bit-he doesn't quite know what to think, he is still a little young for it but we still do it since he likes to stand so much.

-We have been putting some cereal in his bottles to help with his reflux, and we still give him prune juice at 1 feeding to keep him from getting backed up.

-He kicks his covers off, and is too old to be swaddled so we are big fans of the sleep sacks now.

-He doesn't really enjoy his baths, but there isn't much we can do in that area except DO IT FAST.

-He holds his head up very well despite the lack of tummy time (I always forgot to do that and only thought about it after he ate, and he hated it anyway)

-He has had cradle cap for about a month now, and a lady at work shared with me to massage his hair with the baby brush while washing it and it will help...we'll see.

-He has been on Zantac for a month now and it has helped him SO much, thank goodness for internet so nervous moms can research. Last time I went to the ped., the Dr. we saw asked "what do you need me for, you've got it figured out"

-He is wearing 3 month clothes and has been since he was about 2 months. The 3-6 mo. are still a little long, poor thing he is destined to be short.

-He is SO happy in the mornings, he giggles and flirts and coos, it is SO nice to see him SO happy.

-He has learned how to blow bubbles, not sure if its on purpose.

I have a big list of items to purchase in the near future (I get SO excited to shop for baby stuff - I love it...can't wait to find out what Becca's baby is so I can shop for that one!)
1. High chair, gonna get one of those space saver ones, our house is small.
2. Bumbo seat
3. Some plush toys
4. Baby cereal, baby food, Dec. 2nd (4 mo. check up) Dr. will discuss feeding solids with me.
5. Kickin piano (pad that makes noise and lights up when baby kicks it), man does that baby kick!
6. Umbrella stroller, for shopping and walking, etc...I have a small car and can't take that big one if I want to use my trunk for something else.
7. Since both of our families live in AL, I need to get a large duffle bag for him, we had SO many small bags on his first trip for his stuff, SO annoying and I am not doing that again.

Baby News...

He actually laughed this morning, it was so funny, b/c I would laugh at him, then he would laugh at me, and so on. That is the sweetest little sound. He is always so happy on the changing table, don't know why. He also coos and sorta laughs at TV, Sesame Street to be exact.

As far as other milestones, etc... go, I think he is doing pretty good:

• he is sleeping around 4-6 hours at a time at night which is the definition of "sleeping through the night" for a baby his age
  
• eats up to 6 oz some feedings
  
• turning from his back to his side
  
• sticking his hands and other items in his mouth
  
• started a little bit of drooling
• He has a very strong grasp, he pulls my hair and scratches me, I don't mind though