As summer winds down....

Pictures are scattered, and not great, but just to show everything we did and saw this past week:

And not sure if I am proud of this one or not...

Update on all things cute

- Carson counts. If you ask him to count, he gets this big smile on his face and says onnnneeeee (with his voice going up at the end, very exagerated), twwwooooooo, and then either 5 or 7. If you guide him along he can fill in the blanks from 1 to 10.

- At the park yesterday, in the middle of playing, he ran over to Jeff with his arms wide open to give him a hug.

- He was starting to get "afraid" of the dark, so we put his "Goodnight Moon" nightlight in his room and he quite likes it. When I went to check on him last night his head was right beside where the light is.

- After a bit of persuasion he ended up staying in the bouncy tent for half an hour last night. All his friends (Jaeda, Grace, Maisie, Justen, Mirabel and Jack) were in there just bumping into each other and trying to jump

- I was lying on the floor in his room (cozy cozy time) and he put Iggle Piggle beside me and looked at me and said "Be Nice". I've never heard him say that before!

- Seconds after saying "Car coming" on our walk yesterday he said "Watch Out". Where does he get this stuff? I love it.

Who says daycare isn't best for kids?

Carson's caregiver sent these pictures to me this weekend. These are Carson's friends (he says goodbye to each one every night, by name!) And he asks about them when he's not there. He likes talking about Anna, the baby with the gorgeus red hair!

Number 3

Is a little too short.....

Jeff and I cut Carson's hair at home. There's no way he would let anyone else near his head with something buzzing, so we sit him on the back deck (or his wagon) and let him watch the cars while we cut his hair. I always thought we used a number 4 clipper so I suggested a number 3. Turns out we normally use a 5, so we should have used a 4. Now he looks like a little hoodlum!

Before: After (with me):








The pictures don't even do it justice. It's short. Too short. The only thing that keeps me going is that hair grows. Heck, I cut my hair too short all the time!

Here's the mayhem that ensues when Ethan and Isabelle come to visit. Carson LOVES his cousins, he talks about them all the time. Abel and Enan.

He certainly loves his grandma!

Last night Grandma and Nono came over for supper. They were still there when it was his bedtime and he did NOT want to leave them. Jeff took him upstairs for bed and he was screaming for them. Mom went up for a bit to cuddle and kiss him good-bye. That didn't work. Then he called for me. I went upstairs. After about 10 minutes I got him quasi-calm by looking out the window. We were looking at the cars, the trees, the kids... and then, Grandma and Nono left. That was not something he wanted to see. It started again, this heart breaking "Grandma... Nonoooooo". Out the open window of course. Grandma could hear him and she didn't like that, not one bit. She said she would have come back and sat with him all night long if that's what he wanted. But we all know that's not what he needed. He needed sleep!

Busy Day

Carson's (or, I should say Carden as he calls himself) latest piece of art

He loves his little slide and today wanted to just lie down on it and take a rest before his next turn

Every day, Daddy and Carson take a walk to go get the mail



Daddy wants to pass on his basketball skills, and was using the recycling bin as a basket. Carson was slam dunking!

These nights, before his bedtime, he's been wanting to get "cozy cozy cozy" on the floor with his mom and dad. We play with the super soft blanket, we all lay down (actually, we lay down in the specific places he tells us to) and I wanted to get pictures of him laying down but as soon as he sees the camera he wants me to show him the pictures on the screen (especially the movies) so it kind of makes it hard to take pictures.

Anyways, it's getting a bit harder to convince him it's bedtime when he's having so much fun. And tonight? He wouldn't let me leave the room after I put him in his crib. So, I promised him I would sit in the chair while he fell asleep. I tried sneaking out at one point but then a few minutes later all I heard was "Mommy, chair. Mommy, chair" So I went back up, sat in the chair and minutes later he was asleep. So long as it doesn't become a habit, I didn't mind at all. It was cute watching him fall asleep. He wraps his blankie around his toes over and over while trying to fall asleep....

I think it's getting a little afraid of the dark, he alwyas wants the lights on. I think I have to go find him a nightlight.

Chilly mornings!

This weekend got quite a bit cooler and the mornings are quite crisp! But Carson always wants to go outside (aside aside!) so now we have to start dressing him up to keep warm. And the result is not always quite so fashionable.

He's absolutely blowing Jeff and I away with his words these days. He's normally stringing three or four together (mommy ball up here, daddy blankie cozy cozy, mommy mon aside) He's fricking cute as heck!

And he's wild. Just wild. We stopped by Bulk Barn this morning and he was yelling and laughing and running up and down the aisles (but not a terror, he doesn't pull, yank, jump or break things) and saying hi to everyone and playing peek a boo with the cashiers. We went to an open house and he was flinging himself on the toddler ottoman and wanting to get up and jump on each of the beds. I know he's growing up (he's 21 months!) but I guess it's happening so fast, most days I wake up in constant amazement at the things he's doing.

We've had a fun last week, and tomorrow is back to normal and back to Sheena's. I asked him if he wanted to go see Sheena tomorrow and he said no, he said see Grandma. And Carrie. Then he said Grandma - Carrie, like 30 times in a row (must call Carrie to tell her, she'd be happy). But I know as soon as we show up to Sheena's house tomorrow he'll be happy, he missed them when he's away too long.

Going crazy

Indian Summer

So summer ends but the summer weather just starts? Carson was at home with Jeff on Wednesday, and when I got home I swore Carson had grown since the morning. He ran over to me (he was nekkid!) and start talking a mile a minute and then continued to go crazy around the house. Then he looked for something on the kitchen table and Jeff and I tried to remember when he started to be able to see over the table? We remember him only not being able to see on the table.

Tonight, he was trying to take the chair from his table outside to sit at his picnic table. But he was explainging to me how it was the chairs that Isabelle and Ethan sat on when they were here. He was dragging the chair saying "abel and enan" "chair" "outside". that's pretty fricking close to a sentence for me!

He spent the day with mom today (and me tomorrow!) and she called when he went for a nap to tell me how much he's talking. They sat on the corner watching cars (his favourite pasttime) and he will tell you which ones are cars, trucks, vans, jeeps, buses, diggers and tractors. He's very well versed in his automobiles.

Here's just a few pictures from mom's trailer this past weekend. He wanted to ride in her kayak (on land, of course) all the time.

Few pictures

Just as I posted about Carson being a horrible eater, he's eating everything these days. Well, not everything, BUT he's been finishing his plate which is huge. Ok, so maybe not every time. For some reason I thought the way he had his apple snack was funny (he normally just eats the whole apple, but he wanted it cut up this time)

Showing off his latest craft he made at his daycare (he keeps taking it off the fridge and coming over to show it to us, he's quite proud)

Zach and Carson lying in the hammock (we need to figure out how to set ours up (with no trees in the backyard) because Carson loves hammocks!

Carson watching the mayhem (Justen chasing Jaeda and Grace around the backyard)

I just thought this was a cute picture!

Cuteness!

I made a quick trip to Costco today (I got sent home from work, our building lost power!) and have been wanting to get Carson a pillow for his bed as he's loving pillows these days. Gets onto our bed, puts his head down on my pillow and then pats the pillow beside him and says lie down. Then if you don't do it right away, he gets quite convincing (read: whines) and gets you to lie down.

Anyways, I saw the perfect pillow. Ok, so it's not a normal pillow. But I called Jeff to see if he could talk me about of buying it, but he failed, but made me promise to not give it to him until he came home. So home it came. I tried to hide it from him (I obviously didn't pick a good enough spot because he found it) and when he found it, he started laughing hysterically, hugging it, rolling around on the ground with it... it was definitely worth the $17.

The problem? Now he won't put it down. The proof.

Don't let his smile fool you, he's just smiling because I asked him to. He had a bite of one of the carrots (from Jeff's garden!) and one bite of roast pork and wouldn't eat anything else, that's all he had for dinner! Argh....I would love, for one night, to have one of those kids that will eat anything.

Few pictures from last night

Not sure how I feel about it...

Yesterday afternoon when I went to pick up Carson, they were having storytime. I opened the door and Carson started to cry and walk to the other side of the room from me. He didn't want to leave!

I heard it happens. I knew it would happen one day. But ouch....

(Honestly I'm happy, because it just goes to show how much he loves it there)
(But, I'm his mom! He should always choose me first)

OH! Carson got a wasp bite when we were in PEI. We were leaving the Superstore, walking across the parking lot. I was carrying Carson and all of a sudden he started to cry and I look at him and see this bloody wasp attached to his wrist. I flicked it off (it held on tight!) and the stinger was stuck in his wrist. We got it out (didn't squeeze it, it was long enough we could just pull it) and after a few minutes of crying (more like the ouch whining?) we got into the car and he was fine. He kept touching his wrist and I asked him to show it to me every 5 minutes or so, and there was a bump for a few minutes but then it disappeared and he never "mentioned" it again.

Home sweet home

Back into the swing of things around here. Carson got rather spoiled on vacation, he had constant attention by his aunts, uncles, and grandparents. He had ice cream, deep fried clams, crackers until his heart's content and lots of chicken nuggets. Around here, he has our constant attention but I think he misses the food in PEI because he's on somewhat of a hunger strike. Even our caregiver mentioned that he's not really eating. He has 2 or 3 bites of each meal and that's it. It's slowly picking up again, and I know they say kids won't starve themselves but still, I get a little stressed over it.

The past week or so, he's changed. He makes different voices, says words differently, acts differently - it's all wonderful changes, but it's so evident that he's growing up. He just keeps changing, right when I think I know all he can do - he surprises me. And does something else. And it blows my mind.

I'm rather happy to report that after 2 weeks vacation, he was a little shy with his caregiver and was sneaking smiles at her, and after a few minutes, it was like he had never left. He LOVES her (asks about her on the weekends, and in the morning when you ask if he wants to go, he goes to the front door to get his shoes on). Makes me very happy. I showed up today a little late and he was sitting in a circle with the other kids (two more started part time, so now there are 5 kids in total) listening to her read a book, his mouth was open and he was just staring at her... he LOVES stories.

It's insane. In PEI, we were all sharing a room so storytime took place on the bed (normally at home it was always in the chair in his bedroom). When we got home, the first night i put him to bed and when I went to sit down in the chair he started yelling and ran out of his room and into my room. He was saying bed (I thought he was saying bath and it took me a while to clue in). Now story time takes place in mommy and daddy's bed. Maybe it's time to put the chair in storage until baby number 2.


Anyways, here's a picture. Look at him, doesn't he look older? Maybe it's just the warmer clothes (the mornings are rather chilly here in Ottawa this week)

And, he was quite happy to get back to all his cars. He always has about 2 or 3 with him (if you peek on him sleeping at night he's sure to have one car grasped in his hand). Now they all live on his table and he'll play with them for hours on end (ok, a total exageration, but you know what I mean). He started kneeling at the table (Grandma taught him that here, but he started doing it all the time in PEI), so now he gets onto his small chairs and kneels and today I caught him standing on them. And trying to walk from one chair to another. He obviously tried something like that while I was making dinner cause I heard the chairs fall and then he cried. I hate when something happens and I'm not watching, because I can't see exactly where he hit himself so I don't know where to look for injuries!

the sun is finally out!

I can't wait for Carson to wake up. The sun is finally up, after 3 days of being in PEI. The trip down here was, um, how shall we say... LONG. 12 hours the first day! To make it the whatshouldhavebeen 9 hours to my Grammy Walker's, it took us 12 hours! Traffic, construction, delays at the border (we went through Maine), made Jeff and I super cranky, but Carson was an absolute DREAM. He fared better than Jeff and I. He was happy, he read, he played, I sat in teh back with him for a while, we ate and had a chance to run around outside, and he slept (only for an hour out of the 12 we were in the car!), but seriously, we couldn't ask for a better kid. We must have done something right in our previous lives to deserve him.

Anyways, he's been a treat since we've been here, totally seems to be coming out of his shell and not super shy like he normally is. Walking around in restaurants saying hi to everyone. Actually, since we got here he started saying "Hello" which KILLS me. The funniest word I think he has.

We've been stuck inside most of the time so far, but have had visitors non-stop, so we've been having a good time. Today I'm hoping to go to a farm (or bowling if it starts raining again), and to just get out of the house.

Grampy has a sit-on-lawn mower (I'm sure there's a proper word for it, but I don't know what it is) parked against the barn and Carson is obsessed with it. He always has to go out and see it (even in the rain) and when we get right up close to it, he says WOW. And it's so dramatic the way he says it. Too cute.

I'm a sucker

I just put up a whole new slew of pictures in my office of Carson. Now there are 23. I just love being able to look at his adorable little face whenever I want.

Play date!

Here are pictures from Friday night's picnic with a good friend and her super cute daughter. We had a fun time at Mooney's Bay, and maybe next time they will both want to do the same thing :)

All of a sudden I have this toddler, and the playdates are for HIM instead of for ME!

My favourite one is the last one :) AND, seeing as I still can't take great pictures... I was quite ecstatic when I got into my car this morning to come to work and Jeff left the registration card for the camera course he signed me up for in September! Happy Anniversary!

Almost on vacation!

Carson had a great weekend with his extended family. Due to extenuating circumstances, Jeff and I had to be away alot of the weekend and we couldn't bring him with us. So Saturday night he spent the night at ZiaNadia and Uncle Sean's with Sofia. They had a great time, played outside, had a great sleep, played with their cats, chased each other around, went to the park... and Carson was a superstar. Even though he's never been left alone with Nadia and Sean, he went to bed without a peep, was a bit quiet in the morning when he got up, until crazy Sofia was awake and then they just started playing together and didnt stop until we picked him up the next morning.

Then it was off to Grandma and Nono's where he picked flowers, went for a walk in his barefeet, played cars, then for a lonnnng nap, and when he woke up Sofia was there! So they chased each other, went swimming, had Nono's homemade soup for supper, had a bath and then off to bed for another marathon sleep (well, until 5 at which point Grandma had to get up and sleep on the floor beside him, where they both slept till 7).

So Grandma is bringing him straight to daycare this morning and hopefully I will be home at some point tonight so I can squeeze the lights out of him. I miss my little boy something terrible! Jeff and I talked about him so much while we were away from him. I love that he's so resilient and easy to adapt to changes around him or it would have made this weekend that much harder.

I have 4 more days of work and then first thing Friday morning we'll get in the car and drive to see Gram-Grammie in New Brunswick. We'll stay the night there and then continue on to PEI for the next two weeks. We are sooooooooooooo looking forward to it.

Good way to end the weekend

Carson woke up early from his nap, so I was determined to get to a little farm near Carrie and Rob's to show him the animals (as soon as I asked if he wanted to see the animals, he came over to me, grabbed my hand and walked me to the front door saying animo animo (we've never been to a farm so i wonder what he was thinking we were doing?). Anyways, of course, it started to rain on our way there. So we drove to see a house that Jeff is drooling over (I can't get past the "living in the country" feeling). Then we stopped in at Carrie and Rob's. We ended up staying for supper and then we all went for a Dairy Queen treat!

Pool party!

These are his cousins (L to R: Ethan, Grant, Sofia, Carson, Maya, Isabelle)

Carson was the only one not super happy about sitting all together on the swing. It's kind of funny, the pictures start out with him quite upset, then he's okay for a little bit and then he gets mad again. But besides the picture taking, we had a great afternoon!