Florida - take 2

Today was much better. Well, weather-wise at least. Erin and I headed out to the outlet malls and left the men home with the kids. Petra is only 5 months old, so there haven't been many occassions where Erin has left her alone. We only went for two hours, when we came home, poor little Petra had thrown up! She was pretty lethargic and her eyes were glassy, so of course it gave Erin and Jan a scare. Only cause we're not at home, plus they had been travelling for 12+ hours the day before so they were wondering what the heck kind of bug she picked up in the airport. But she's better now, so hopefully it was just something in her tummy that she needed to get out.

The afternoon was wonderful! During Carson's nap (he's so tired these days, I'm wearing him out!) I sat outside by the pool. Then Carson joined me, we put our feet in the pool and splashed around. Then we went to the park, and out walking around the neighbourhood for a couple hours. It was super nice and Carson was loving seeing all the people, dogs, trees, and getting out and walking and pushing the stroller himself.

While the boys are still gone golfing, and Erin is putting Petra to bed I have a few minutes so, this post may be a bit longer than usual. It's so nice to have such wonderful people in my life that I can explain how I feel about anything without feeling guilty or embarassed/ashamed for feeling certain ways. As new moms, Erin and I talk quite a bit about our "new" lives. And we both have very different feelings about certain things, but it doesn't make either of us right or wrong. It's just really nice to have people who you know aren't judging you or thinking to themselves "god, how did she not love motherhood right from the beginning" even though she did. It's the same with my family and friends back home. How horrible would it be to be surrounded by people who didn't support you 100% and let you vent, rant, complain, or talk for hours about how wonderful your son is and all the little things he does that makes you laugh.

I'm the first one to admit I much prefer after the one year stage. I loved him to bits before a year and I did everything I possibly could for him, but wow, it is SO much fun now. We are communicating, he knows what I'm saying to him, I know what he's saying to me, what he wants to do....he's just into everything, walking everywhere and wanting to explore everything and anything. I love being the one to explain it to him. Tonight we were walking along and when I thought it was time to turn back, to go home and get ready for dinner, I kept calling to him to turn around and come back this way, then I stopped to think. If he's having fun and exploring something over there, why is it so important that he come to me when I want him to? I don't want to be that nagging mom - Carson come here, come this way, Carson do this, Carson do that. I was in no rush to get home (if I was in a rush then that's a different story) so who cares if we are out for 15 minutes longer then I had planned on? Who cares if he wants to sit in a parking lot and play with his car?

On a totally different note, he hates having his teeth brushed. He has three new ones coming in, so I thought maybe it was because of that. But now I can see that between his top two teeth he has what looks like a canker sore? I forgot about it until this minute, so I'm going to go google it and see what I can do for him. It's not like I can get him to gargle hot water and salt....

I always have to insert my big ol head into pictures with him..

With the miniature palm trees

The car behind him? We'd be on the other side of the park and he would see it, then he'd have to go over to it, pointing at it saying car the whole time

He likes pushing the stroller himself

Waving to the dogs

This is my favourite one (quite proud of the picture if I do say so myself) I had about two seconds to snap it before he came barreling down the slide

We're here!

It's freaking cold, but we're here! Carson even had to wear his winter hat to the park yesterday morning. Hopefully it will warm up soon.

He did wonderful on the plane - but so different from when he wasn't walking and was happy just sitting on my lap, he wanted to get up all the time and look at all the people in their seats.

There's a tooth at the back of his mouth that's come through, I can't tell if it's a molar or not. I'm assuming it's not, as I've heard that molars coming through are quite painful and he didn't seem to be that annoyed over the past couple days.

Will update again soon, hopefully with some OUTDOOR pictures. Erin and I are hitting up the outlet malls this morning for a couple hours before the boys go golfing.

When did it happen?

When did he turn from a baby into a toddler? I'm home alone, with him, tonight. Jeff's out in the West End at a party (I ended up staying home with Carson!) and I just went to peek on him. He was in the same place I had seen him an hour ago. He's so tall. He's so big. He was in these football pyjamas and his feet were crossed and some of his fingers sticking through the crib bars. Like when did he get so big? I remember when it was such a big deal when he flipped from his stomach to his back. Then when it was hilarious that he'd be in a totally different position (or location) when I would go and check on him. When did he turn into this toddler who sits and smiles at you as you leave the room when you put him to bed? When did he start playing in his crib in the morning and be perfectly happy for an hour or more?

The past couple of days have been awesome. He's been having long (3 hr naps) and he's been just running all over the place. It's crazy how much parenting changes when they start to walk. Now at home he pretty has much run of the house, everything is pretty much his for the taking, just a few spots we just make sure he's careful around (stairs, fireplace...) but it's when we go out. He doesn't walk too much outside (boots are too bulky for him) so when we go to the mall, or a store, he's just all over the place. This afternoon I was chasing my son around GolfTown! He kept running after the balls on the putting green and putting them in the holes.

It all happens so quickly. It's crazy. I remember people telling me to enjoy the first year, it goes by so quickly. And wow - did it ever. He's not a baby anymore, he's doing things on his own, he's making his own choices, he's he's learning where all his eyes, nose, head, hands, toes and tummy is, he's learning different colours, animals and to dance. I can't believe soon I'll be saying Carson is 15 months old...

Sleepover

This weekend Carson had a sleepover with the twins. I had a glimpse at life with more than one child and let me say - it's exhausting. Ethan and Isabelle love Carson so much and were squealing whenever he'd walk, it's like it never got old for them. To be truthful, Jeff and I are amazed every time we see him walking. Which, is all the time now.

We also went to visit Sofia (and the rest of the Moran clan). Sofia and Carson chased each other around the bed. Sofia would run after Carson until they got to the end of the bed and then they would turn around and Carson would be the chasee.

We have issues. With toys. Too many toys, too little storage. Keep in mind, I don't think one thing you see in the picture below was bought specifically for Carson. Everything gets handed down to us. And we are super grateful. I've already put away two bins of things he's grown out of. And there is piles of toys downstairs that I don't think he would quite "get" right now. I can't wait to hit up IKEA with Tarrah so I can hopefully find a solution to our problem!

Second week of February, already?

Time is flying by. Now that we've settled into a routine it seems like the days turn into weeks and the weeks into months.... it's 2 weeks (today) till we leave for Florida and we are super excited. Carson too. He just doesn't know it yet.

He's been attached to me, for the last couple days. He has to have one hand on me at all times. It's kind of funny cause he'll reach out for something and he's trying to stretch his whole body, just so he doesn't have to take his hand off my leg. I think his two bottom eye teeth are coming in (although I've thought that for the past week). I can see white under his gum, but on the side of the gum, not the top. It's like I can see the whole tooth coming up. He won't let me anywhere near his mouth and is a little whiney, which all points to teething. Another telltale sign, he has a bad diaper rash and he whimpers whenever I try to put cream on his bum. It breaks my heart.

Things are going well on the walking front, he walks way more when he's around other kids then just Jeff and I. I try to get him to walk, but he does the splits and will do everything in his power to not touch the ground. It's hilarious. But put him with Sofia or any of the kids at daycare, and he's up and walking like he's been doing it for years.

It's darn cold these days, so most of his days are spent inside, I think he's going to have a great time in Florida when we can spend all day outside. I'm trying to get packed for him and find all his summer stuff - I've been dying to put some of the Tshirts and shorts I have on him. Last summer he spent most of the time in joppers, Tshirts or just his diaper. I can't find his favourite hat (or, my favourite hat I should probably say) and come to think of it, I don't even know if it fits.

Thank you for the Valentine's Day card Grammy and Grampy, and the money is already in my piggy bank (which I think soon needs to take a trip to the bank!). Here are a few pictures.

He loves sitting on things now. He always wants to sit on this ottoman. And he just sits there, looks around, babbles, plays with his car....

Laughing while he reads to himself

This kid loves laying down. He'll simply lie down in the middle of the floor and play with his cars or just look around.
Don't you love his new jacket? Regular $54.50 on sale for $15! I tried to call all the stores in Ottawa looking for the next size up, for next winter, but they were all sold out. He totally crashed on the way home after visiting Grandma and Great Grandma (where he rode in a wheelchair and went to visit all the old folks who just loved him to bits. He thought he was the king shizzle in the wheelchair, eating his orange)

I just thought this was a really funny picture of him, it almost doesn't look like him.

How cute is this?

It's amazing how fast they learn

He's walking now. Like walking from room to room, and now he chooses to walk instead of crawling. And it's just been a matter of days. He's still wobbly and needs to regain his balance every once in a while, but he's a walking toddler.

And he's smart. I know all parents say that, but really, this kid is smart! I'm constantly amazed by how quickly he learns something if I show him only once. And he follows instructions now (not like instructions on how to bake a cake or anything), but if I tell him to put something somewhere (like the plate on his head) bring me something, then he'll do it. He's like my own little voice activated robot.

And he likes to read. All.the.time. The first thing he does when we bring him home after daycare is help me take his jacket off, and then scoot over to grab one of his thousand of books (literally, I haven't counted but it's gotta be close to 50 books on the first floor), opens it up and flips through the pages. He'll sit there for a good 10 minutes just reading the same book, over and over. If it's Goodnight Moon, he'll see the fireplace and say hot. If it's the truck book, he's so excited when he turns each page, and as he does he says "Guk" (his version of truck). If it's the Twinkle Twinkle Little Star book (not the one you are thinking) he flips to the last page and kisses the furry tummy. He's hilarious.

And I'm excited for the weekend, which may involve Winterlude, dinner with friends (and kids for him to play with!), and a trip to the indoor "playground".

A few more...

He's getting the hang of walking and takes about 10-14 steps befoe he finally loses his balance and lands on his bum. Or hands. Before he was walking to to get at something in particular and kind of ran and then fell into your arms. Now he's walking cause he thinks it's funny. He takes a few steps, then re-balances himself and does it again.

Jeff missed catching his super long walk tonight (he blames it on his dislocated finger on his left hand (he's left handed) heh) but we caught another shorter one.

Sunday Wrap-up

We had a good weekend, Carson had a sleepover at Grandma's because Jeff and I went out to a good friend's 40th birthday party. Carson loves staying at Grandma's (all the kids do...) and Nono is down South, so Grandma loves the company.

They went sliding in the front yard (oh the snowbanks are insanely high!), traipsing around old Ottawa South, eating egg salad sandwiches and peas, staying up an hour past his bedtime and having 3 1/2 hour naps and sleeping in till 8 (well, reading in his crib till 8), eating celery and... learning to walk.

I went to pick him up, and he took a good 7 steps to me, to get a grape. He's been doing it all day now, a good 7-8 steps here and there. It's adorable and he's so proud of himself.

He ate a bowl of chili tonight... hey, it's Super Bowl? What else is a boy going to eat on SuperBowl Sunday. And he even dressed for the occasion. He wore a pair of football Joe Boxer pjs to bed.

Here he is waving his hand at telling Dad the fireplace is "hot"


Hey mom, I want that camera in your hand.

Who can't kiss this little guy?

Me! That's who! I woke up with a coldsore this morning, so I have to keep this dreadful disease from passing onto my cute little offspring. Boooo... do you know how hard that's going to be? Especially cause he gives me kisses all the time. Sad sad mommy.