My 5th Month

IIIIIIIIIIII'M BAAAAAAAAAAAAACK!

I hope you all had a great Christmas!!! As you can probably figure out, I've been really enjoying my very first Christmas, but I'm back to update you on my 5th month of life. I'm going to include Christmas in this post, even though it was technically 5 days after I turned 5 months old (so that actually pushes it into my 6th month of life). Ahhhhh details, details....who cares?!?! :-) Sit back and enjoy my 5th month.....

It all started with the celebration of Thanksgiving! Mommy told me all about the Pilgrims and Indians and why we are thankful at this time of year. I've decided that I must be an Indian because I don't like wearing clothes. I've also decided that I'm thankful for my parents....they are cool for old people...they take good care of me.

We are also thankful for our families, so we went to see them at Thanksgiving. We went to Wedowee and saw Daddy's side of the family. I also got to visit with my great-grandparents and two cousins - they are both girls:

While we were there, Daddy ended no-shave November with an awesome creation of facial hair

& Auburn beat Bama, and boy were we thankful for that - WAR EAGLE!

Then we traveled to Waverly to see Mommy's side of the family:

While we were at Grandmama and Papa's house, Papa decided to change his name to Grandaddy, and I think that's awesome!!!! I'm thinking about changing my name to Super Carter. I just think it has a nice ring to it. So anyways, while we were at Grandmama and Grandaddy's house, we celebrated Thanksgiving with the family.

I got to meet my soon-to-be Uncle Jason. He's marrying my Aunt Rebekah because he thinks she's pretty. I told him that he can't have all of her heart because I'm keeping some of it :-) He's a big, strong Army man, but don't be fooled - I could take him if I tried.

I also learned how to ride a horse. This horse's name is Hershey, and he knew I was a real cowboy!

Mommy had our pictures taken by a photographer. Daddy and I were pretty upset about the whole thing.....we wanted to play in the creek and get dirty. We decided to cooperate and smile lots and lots. It helped that the lady taking our pictures was super nice and really funny!!! At least mommy let me wear tough man clothes in most of the pictures....

She leaned me by a tree, and I accidentally face-planted into the leaves - so not cool.

Then, of course, she made me wear some sissy clothes too....

Mommy said that they turned out really well, and I guess, I agree - we are one good looking family!!!

I've started eating real baby food! Can you believe it - REAL FOOD?!?!?! This month alone, I've tried green beans, sweet potatoes, peas, bananas, peaches, and applesauce!!! I LOVED all of it....except for the green beans....this is what I thought about them....

They are growing on me...like mold. I may even end up liking them...we'll see! The fruits (especially peaches) are by far my favorites though - by FAR!

I've decided that December is party month! It all started when we went to a really fun Christmas party with my parents Sunday School class. We played games and opened presents. I borrowed a do-rag from a guy named Kevin so that I could look super-fly for the party (it wasn't my daddy though - I'm not sure why they both have the same name). We had a good time!

Then my parents did something really confusing. We went to a tree farm....I've never heard of Old MacDonald having trees!!! It was a pretty fun place! I got to see Santa for the first time and ride on a trolly out to see the trees.

Then we looked at a bunch of trees that all looked exactly alike. Mommy, Daddy, and I picked one out. I wasn't sure what we were going to do with it, but I tried to play along!

Then they wrapped it up and stuck it in Daddy's truck. I guessed that we were taking it home to plant it in the yard. Do you know what they did with that tree? They put it in our living room!!!!!!!!! Even though it's huge!!! Then, they hung some little bitty lights and lots of little toys all over it. On the very top, they put an angel. I know you are in shock, but it's called a Christmas tree. I love our Christmas tree. I think it's the best thing about the living room. I never get tired of looking at it! Mommy put lots of other pretty decorations around the house too. Our house has never looked this pretty!

I even have my very own stocking!

Mommy and Daddy told me all about Christmas, and that it's a time when we celebrate Jesus's birth. Jesus's birth is a big deal - even bigger than my birth (even though I know that's hard to believe)! No wonder we party and decorate!!!

Do you know what else we do? We give each other presents - like the Wise Men brought to Jesus. Mommy and Daddy bought more presents than I've ever seen. I think they bought presents for everyone in the whole world. Mommy does most of the wrapping. She loves to wrap presents. Daddy and I aren't sure why because we are just going to destroy the wrapping, but she loves it anyway! It must be a girl thing.

Mommy and Daddy took me to the mall to see Santa (again) - they made me sit in his lap. I thought he looked and smelled funny. I did not smile because I was not happy, so we don't have any proof that I saw him, but you can take my word for it. I'm not all about Santa, but I LOVE to dress up like him!

The weekend before Christmas, we all headed down to Wedowee and Waverly again for our Family Christmas Celebrations. We got to see lots of our family members again, and of course I was the center of lots of attention, and that's the way I like it :-)

I have to share some of the attention at Nana and Papa J's house because I have 2 girl cousins who are pretty cute if I do say so myself! I get all the grandson attention though because I'm the only boy - woohoo!!! Here's a picture of all the cousins:

We played lots of games at Grandmama and Grandaddy's house. I got to see Uncle Jason again, and I can still beat him up. We gave my Uncle Rob footy PJ's, so that he could be just like me! Actually it was because he didn't tell us what he wanted - note: always tell mommy and daddy what you want, or they'll give you something CRAZY!!!

We don't really have any other pictures at Grandmama and Grandaddy's house because my parents got a video camera and forgot to take regular pictures....maybe when mommy learns how to get the videos on here, you can see some of them :-)

We all went out to eat with my Grandmama's sister and her family....yep, you probably didn't know that grandmama's could have sisters! I know it's crazy, but you'll learn!

While we were away from home 2 big/huge/enormous things happened....

BAD THING: I GOT SICK FOR THE FIRST TIME :-(

(On Friday, December 17th)

and

GOOD THING: I GOT MY VERY FIRST TOOTH :-P

(Discovered on Saturday, December 18th)

My mommy took me to the doctor when we got back home, because my cold didn't get better while we were away. The doctor called it RSV and gave me some yummy medicine. I'm slowly but surely getting better. While I'm sick, I'm milking it for all it's worth though. I don't have to eat baby food if I don't want to, and I get rocked and babied more than usual - it's a sweet deal!

You're not going to believe this, but on Christmas Eve I got my SECOND TOOTH (that's right folks - 5 months old and not none, not one, but 2 teeth). I can and do chew on anything and everything!!! If I were a Star Wars character, I would definitely be Chewy.

Well, that brings me to the event you've all been waiting to hear about - Christmas morning! Instead of going to bed with visions of sugarplums dancing in my head, I dreamed of a white Christmas, and when I woke up - IT HAD SNOWED!!! That's right folks my first Christmas was a WHITE CHRISTMAS - how awesome is that?!?!?!

We came downstairs, and there were lots of presents around the tree and my stocking was full. I opened my stocking with Daddy, then mommy fed me breakfast while daddy cooked pancakes. After they finished their breakfast, we read the Christmas story about Jesus's birthday, and then we opened presents - just like on Daddy's Birthday. I really enjoyed tearing into those packages!!!

I got some really cool stuff, but my favorite toy of all was my BALL POPPER!!!!!!!! It's the coolest toy ever!!!

Before I settled down for my long winter's nap, we went outside, and I got to touch the snow for the first time - and there was a TON of it out there!

It was cold and wet - I wasn't impressed at the time, so I took my nap. After I woke up, mommy and daddy bundled me up, and we went outside to play in the snow. This was much better because I stayed warm the whole time. I realized how much fun you can have in the snow!

Mommy and daddy showed me how to build a snow man - they made a mommy, a daddy, and a Carter snowman...

& Mommy made a snow angel!

I can't wait til I'm older, and I can show them how it's really done!

As you can tell, we had a fantastic Christmas Day, and it's going to be very hard to top my first Christmas!!! But I'm willing to try next year :-) Well, I'm pretty sure that's all folks....if you're even still out there! It'll be a while before I post again - my fingers are going to have to recover! Before I go, here are....

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 5 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 18.5 lbs (85th) & 28 in. (97th+).

- I'm sleeping 8-10 hours a night (I wake myself up coughing a lot right now).

- I'm taking about three naps a day (anywhere from 30 min - 3 hours)

- I can hold my head at a 90 degree angle when on my tummy and push my chest up with my arms!

- I can stand up straight and hold my head up when someone is holding me.

- I am really good at sitting while supported - I even sit up really straight now in my bumbo seat!

- I have 2 teeth and lots of drool!

- I talk, scream, and laugh with anyone who will listen, but I especially love my parents!

- I cannot wipe the smile off my face!

- I still love playing peek-a-boo and being tickled!

- I watch anything that moves around!

- My hand eye coordination is getting better everyday. I can't pretty much control my hands really well right now and grab whatever I want!

- Everything I touch goes straight to my mouth - yummy!

- I'm eating several different baby foods, rice cereal, and oatmeal!

- I've figured out where my feet and toes are, and they are amazing. I'm not flexible enough to get them in my mouth, but I constantly try to chew on them!

- I love to see my reflection - I have awesome hair!

- I talk and sing to myself when I wake up to let mommy and daddy know that I'm awake, and when they come to get me - I smile as big as I can!!!

Oh, and I almost forgot - On Christmas Day, I decided to surprise mommy and daddy.....I NOW ROLL OVER (STOMACH TO BACK) ALL THE TIME!!!!!! Once I got the hang of it, I was pretty much a professional!

Merry Christmas!!!

A Visit to the Doctor

The Scene 5 Months Ago:

I wait patiently (ok, sometimes it was not so patiently) in the waiting room. I do some nosey people watching, pretend to read a magazine (when we all know I'm just looking at the pictures), and text. I cannot wait hear the heartbeat of my precious baby boy again! I may wait 30 minutes - I may wait 3 hours....who knows...oh well, I just sit back and relax...I took the rest of the day off work anyway!

The Scene This Morning:

I tumble into the waiting room with a diaper bag falling off my shoulder and a baby in his carrier weighing no less than a thousand pounds... I set the baby down with a thud and sign in. So far so good. He's been fed his "new" breakfast of green beans, bananas, cereal - all very tiny portions of course - and milk, and he seems to be fairly happy - maybe he'll fall asleep soon...his usual nap time is in about 15 min. I find a chair that's not too near anybody else, but in full view of pretty much everyone because, after all, they are probably the only adults I'll see today. They are the reason I fixed my hair, put on nice clothes, and got Carter all bathed and dressed in his polo, jeans, and mohawk toboggan :-) I sit there and think - this taking your baby with you to the doctor thing isn't so bad! I take him out of his carrier to do some playing....peek-a-boo, ride a little horsey, tickling, playing with rattles and such. Maybe after playtime he'll get sleepy....but we all know the real reason I get him out is so that everyone can see how stinkin' cute he is! And he is just that - cute, cute, cute, oh my goodness, ewwwww, gross..... he starts spitting up EVERYWHERE...I try to clean it up discretely and not destroy the hopes and dreams of any first time mommy's in the room. Just as soon as I get one big spit up cleaned up, another comes gushing forth....I'm covered. He puts his hand in it and before I can catch him he's grabbing my hair. I hear one lady remark, "oh honey you have it all down the side of your coat....and ewww it's a little green." Embarrassed, I end up putting him back in his carrier after both of us were completely drenched in spit up. I clean him up. I start to clean myself up. I just decide to take my coat off....that's the fastest way to fix the problem. Then he starts fussing. He's tired....it's a while past nap time at this point. I know he is tired, so I rock him. Not working - still fussing. I do all the tricks that always work 100% of the time. Nothing - still fussing. He blows his diaper up at decibels only airplane engines usually reach. I gather up my junk and go to the bathroom to change him - success....maybe now he'll fall asleep. No such luck - too much going on in a waiting room. I finally (after an hour and a half - or a lifetime...I'm not sure...) get called to the back. Finally, peace in a room that's quiet and there's just the two of us. I rock and sing to him - he collapses in a deep sleep on my chest and I just lay there on the examination bed. The doctor comes in and MAYBE 5 minutes later - it's time to pack up and head home....

....I look at the magazines on my way out and I think about my former, more restful life, but then I remember his smile. It's worth it - every second!!!

Free Christmas Cards

I've already received a few Christmas Cards this year! I just love receiving real mail. You know, the kind of mail that was sent by another actual person (and is not a bill :-) I especially love picture cards, so that I can see the faces of all my friends and family who I otherwise may not get to see during the holidays.

I was not sure what to do for our Christmas card this year. Of course I want to send one out since our first precious son, Carter, was born this year; however, it's hard to decide which company to go with. That is until I heard about a great promotion from Shutterfly!

This year I'm going with Shutterfly, and I'm sure the cards I send out will be amazing! Shutterfly has a great variety of Christmas cards and lots of other fun gift ideas for family and friends like mugs, ornaments, and tote bags. They even have holiday party invitations for that Christmas or New Years party you're trying to plan for!

Here are some of my favorite cards they have to offer:

I just love how you can EASILY add more than one picture to these cards and edit the text to say what you want to say! We recently had our family pictures made, and I cannot wait to send out a Christmas card with several of these precious pictures to all those people who are dear to me!

Right now Shutterfly is running a promotion for free cards if you blog about it. For more information on how to take advantage of this amazing deal and get the Christmas cards checked off your list in the process check out Shutterfly.

My 4th Month

Helloooooooo! It's me again - you know who- the cute lil' guy with "all that hair!" Shhhhhhhh...I'm hiding from mommy because we've been so busy lately I haven't been able to update you all on my awesome life! If she finds me, she'll probably dress me up in sissy clothes and take me to another party, and I just have to tell you all about my 4th month before I start my 5th month!!! Let's start with my birthday picture....

Here's lookin' at you, kid...

First of all, way back on the 26th of October, mommy and I had to "hit the deck," "run for the hills," ok....actually we just bunkered down in our hall closet because a tornado was about to hit our house. At least that's what SHE thought...she's always over reacting though!! I told her it would be fine, but she made me hang out in the closet - so I just fell asleep (surrounded by pillows, coats, and ironing boards). I tell you what - mommies can be crazy!

A few days later was Halloween. Now, I've already shown you how my crazy parents put me inside of that pumpkin and carved a face into it. Well, I just THOUGHT that Halloween couldn't get any crazier until that night. My parents had planned for us to look like Dorothy's side-kicks in the Wizard of Oz. I don't even know what that is! All I know is that two terrifyingly scary people (see the picture) kidnapped me and put me in a lion costume, and I couldn't find my parents ANYWHERE! I started SCREAMING at the top of my lungs to let everyone know that I wasn't going to be captured by crazy looking people without putting up a good fight. About 10 minutes later, mommy finally rescued me, but I cried for about 30 more minutes just to let her know how important it is that she keep her eye on me!!!! I think Halloween is my least favorite holiday so far.

The next night was pretty cool. I wore my lion suit again and mommy and daddy and I sat on the front porch and handed out candy to all the neighborhood kids. I kept a watch out for the crazy people though....you never can be too careful! I don't know why we didn't just keep the candy and go back inside, I guess that was my first lesson in sharing.

Daddy turned 26 years old on November 16th! Man, is he OLD or what? That must be why he's so tall. Mommy baked him a coconut cake and mommy helped me make a card for him. We put my handprints and footprints on it. That's pretty much the extent of my artwork abilities right now. I helped mommy out by wiggling my hand around A LOT right when she put my hand down on the card! It looked amazing. As you can see from the photo, we both participated in "No Shave November." I think my beard will get better with time.

I am all about certain toys right now. There are just so many fun things out there! Rattles are super cool! I can grab for them, shake them around and listen to the music, chew on them - they are pretty much the greatest toy EVER! With the exception of my Bouncer that Grandmama gave me. It's like a swing, only BETTER! Mommy puts me in the bouncer, and I practice standing and jumping. Every future NBA star should get one of these....I'm working on my b-ball skills.

You've all been admiring my long flowing mane since I was born. Well, mommy cut it. I know - you're thinking, "How could she cut that baby's hair at that age - he's too young." But for real people, I was looking pretty shaggy. My hair was always in my ears, and I had a major rat-tail going. Something had to be done, so mommy gave me a little trim around the edges. Nothing too major, but boy do I look sharp now! I had to sit really really still while mommy worked on it. I didn't want her to mess up and have to shave my head.

We went to my 4 month check-up at the doctor the other day. I tell you what, one day I'll learn to put up more of a fight when mommy tries to take me there. They always trick me into thinking that they are nice people, and then they try to kill me. They told me that I was eating, growing, and sleeping well, and just as we were about to leave, they gave me "the shots." Why don't I ever see that coming?????? The first one tasted nasty, and I was brave during the first stick - I didn't even cry, but after that it was "No More Mr. Nice Guy!" Once it was all over, mommy gave me some milk to make it all better! I didn't feel too bad afterwards. I slept a lot - crying makes me tired. Mommy knows how I feel though because she had to get a flu shot the other day. She didn't even cry. One day I'm gonna be brave like her! I will say that I think if she'd have had 3 shots like me that she would have cried though...just sayin'!

One good thing about my doctor's visit was that he told mommy to start feeding me rice cereal. I hated it at first (see the picture?)...I mean, why can't I just drink milk....it's so much better! But I'm warming up to the idea. Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to quit drinking my milk anytime soon, but I'm not complaining about the rice cereal either! Plus, I get to eat with a spoon like you grown-ups. That's right - next step - DRIVING :-)

Well, I think that covers my 4th month! If you want a little preview of what I'll be writing about for my 5th month, here you go: Thanksgiving, Baby Food, Christmas Decorating, Parties, and more! Be back in a few weeks....

HERE ARE SOME OF MY 4 MONTH MILESTONES:

- I was 16.5 lbs (75th) & 27.5 in. (97th+).

- I'm sleeping 10-12 hours a night!

- I'm taking about three naps a day (anywhere from 1-3 hours)

- I can hold my head at a 90 degree angle when on my tummy.

- I can stand up straight and hold my head up when someone is holding me.

- I am really good at sitting while supported.

- I am a drool machine!

- I talk, scream, and laugh with anyone who will listen, but I especially love my parents!

- I cannot wipe the smile off my face!

- I still love playing peek-a-boo.

- I'm ticklish on my sides and feet.

- I like to watch anything moving around - have you seen cars on the road? AWESOME!

- I grab onto toys when they are in front of me, but I have to focus really hard to make my hands do what I want them to do! My favorite toy is a rattle ball that I have. I also have a toy bar in my car seat that I'm always playing with!

- I love to chew on my arm, hands, burp cloth, stuffed animals....yummy!

*I don't roll over yet because I don't see the point - I like laying on my tummy, and I like laying on my back, so why would I want to switch??? Too much work!

Oh, and I almost forgot...

- I think it's pretty obvious, but Auburn is winning now because I'm here to cheer - WAR EAGLE!!!

His Strength is Perfect

As I go about my day to day tasks of cleaning my house again, washing the dishes again, doing the laundry again, changing diapers again, ect... I am reminded of this beautiful song -

I can do all things
Through Christ who gives me strength,
But sometimes I wonder what He can do through me;
No great success to show, No glory on my own,
Yet in my weakness He is there to let me know . . .

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

We can only know
The power that He holds
When we truly see how deep our weakness goes;
His strength in us begins
Where ours comes to an end.
He hears our humble cry and proves again . . .

His strength is perfect when our strength is gone;
He’ll carry us when we can’t carry on.
Raised in His power, the weak become strong;
His strength is perfect, His strength is perfect.

Motherhood: Transparency

As you can see from Carter's monthly postings, we are pretty busy people around here! We are always, always on the go - always! For this reason, I treasure my mornings/early afternoons at home with my sweet baby! Life slows down during that time - if I let it. You see, I am a Martha. I've always been a Martha - task oriented - that's me. The youth pastor at my church preached a sermon the other day, and he talked about Satan's tactics. He said that if Satan can't make you bad, he'll make you busy. That really hit home with me. Since I've taken on the job of "Stay at Home Mom," I've really taken to heart my many jobs inside the home. I'm making an effort to not only take care of Carter and all his needs, but I'm also putting my efforts towards having a clean and organized home where we can rest as a family (when we get home from all our crazy adventures :-) I'm also trying to be better about planning and preparing meals - not one of my strong points.... All that to say, I'm focusing on all the tasks that I must do, and God is telling me,

"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him." Psalm 37:7

So now, I'm adding that to my list. You may think that's silly to "schedule" a time with the Lord, but it is absolutely necessary for me to do that. If I don't schedule in the time - I'm not ever still. Granted, I have just started doing this in the past week or so, but the Lord has really begun to put the desire in my heart to - SLOW DOWN!!! It's not something I usually do or enjoy, but I'm starting to - baby steps...

Another battle I've been fighting recently is a feeling of being in the trenches of motherhood. I firmly believe that this is a direct result of what I just wrote about. Satan is attacking me with these feelings because I'm starting to do what God wants me to do, which is spend time with Him. This is the passage I keep telling myself when I start to sink down into the trenches:

"The joy of the Lord is my strength." Nehemiah 8:10

At 3 months into this thing known as parenting, the novelty has slightly worn off. Sometimes it's hard to feel joyful when you're covered in human excrement (which is really just a nice word for poop/pee) and spit-up (which is really just a nice word for barf), or when you feel like a feeding machine/milk cow, or when you feel lonely because you spend 8-10 hours a day without another adult in sight, or when your baby is crying and you don't know why.

It is at these times, when Satan attacks me most! You know, the whole "Kick her while she's down" tactic. Therefore, I've been very purposeful in my thoughts lately. During these times, I dwell on the passage above, and I must say that it helps! I've also noticed that it IS, in fact, possible to be joyful during these times. But only by the Lord's strength am I able to focus on the smile Carter flashes me AFTER he's pooped/peed/or barfed on me, or the fact that I am actually able to offer my baby healthy milk because God has blessed me with the ability to afford food for myself, or the fact that I am blessed to be able to stay at home with my precious baby all day long, or that I can rock and soothe my crying baby. I've found that some of my most joyful moments as a mommy have been in the trenches - the moments I purposefully choose to focus on God's blessings rather than my frustrations.

Plus, after a long, hard day "on the job," I still love being a mommy more than anything in the whole world, and I wouldn't trade if for a thing!!!