Carter is One. Year. Old.

The light of my life!

Wow! My little munchkin is not a little munchkin anymore....he's a Big boy! We had his first birthday party on October 1 and he turned one just 4 days later, on October 5. It has flown by so quickly but had also been filled with so much excitement, activity, and growing that I can remember each stage we've gone through now.

A man on the move.  All the time!  Everywhere!

At 12 months old, here are some of the key points to remember about Carter:
 Loves copycat games, reading, saying "that" to everything!, laying on the floor kicking, Mommies toes (snuggling them, playing with them, laughing at them), Yo Gabba Gabba, being tickled...especially those thighs!, being in small spaces, The Icky Sticky Frog (and interpreting it  with his tucking flicking in and out and a deep Bllleeepp (ribbit?) sound, imitating loud noises and sounds people make, burps, coughs, sneezes, Go Gurt, Being in Mommy's Arms, running around EVERYWHERE, getting into EVERYTHING, helping out (taking spoons out of dishwasher and putting them in drawers), BEING OUTSIDE!, swings, swings, swings, animals!--dogs, ducks, and cats mostly, he loves to roar like a lion, hoot like an owl, and motion like an elephant nose with his arms! music, other kids-and touching their noses,  getting laughs out of people-which he does quite often, bathtime. 

He's very much set on his schedule (especially night time...it's hard to stray from it).  He likes most foods, but meats are a bit challenging to get him to eat.  He's taking one nap a day now for the most days, by his doing.  He is on whole milk now--our bank account is happy about that.  He is very smart-he catches on to things fast and remembers everything:  he knows where each clothing piece goes on his body-especially shoes and socks.   He loves being around people!, he is in a Mommy stage and does not like when I leave...even the room.  So I have a lil buddy nearly at all times.  I hope this stage wraps up because I don't like seeing him sad when I'm gone.  I also am cherishing it though because some day everyone will be cooler than me! ;)

Influenced by the "big boys"  BUT notice the tongue--the Sticky, Icky Frog tongue!  He's always doing this.

Carter and Blakely at the Arboretum!

At the doctor on October 12, he weighed in at  22.5 (50%) and 31.5 in (90%)
One of  my favorite examples of Carter copycatting  is when I was laying on the floor on my tummy kicking my legs one day and after Carter began cracking up about this!  So much so that he fell to the floor laughing.  Anytime something gets a response like that from him, I repeat it over and over.  And we did.  The next day, Carter flung himself to the ground and began kicking his legs and laughing while looking around to see if anyone was getting what he was doing.  Once we caught on, we joined him, which just made him laugh more and more and continue doing it day after day.  He even decided a great place to do this was at Yesterland Farm on the dirtiest dirt covered ground, after soaking his arm in a duck racing pool...mud!  Hey, he's a boy, right?!  That's what my family kept reminding me!  Another time, I saw a spider and it caught me off guard crawling towards me so I screamed and began hitting it with a book over and over.  The next thing I know, I looked at Carter, because he had gone "Aaaa" and he was hitting the floor with his hands over and over....and of course, as with everything, he was laughing thinking that he was so funny copying Mommy.  He randomly did that throughout the rest of the day.  :)
Carter LOVES to read and be read to!  One of his favorites is a book called I Ain't Gonna Paint No More!  There's a part in the book that the Mom declares "WHAT?" and we always do that part with a bit more volume and intensity.  Now, when we get to the page, C points at the Mom and goes "AAAA" before I say "WHAT"!  When he wants to read it, he points towards the books and declares AAA!  He does the same with his Icky Sticky Frog book.  He lets us know he wants to read that book by sticking his tongue out over and over like the frog in the story.  He seems to really soak up everything and has a great memory!  Healso  loves Brown Bear Brown Bear, Rolie Polie Olie, Guess How Much I Love You and Are You My Mother?  We read these over and over and over!
He is a JOY to be around and lights up the life of each person he meets!  Everyone he meets comments on how sweet he is (and cute too)  hehe!  He brings smiles and laughs to every day I spend with him.  My life is so full of love and meaning with this 12 month old munchkin in it!  Daddy and I love him with every piece of our heart!

Swim lessons, and his first time finding markers--see the knee?  :)

9 Months Already!

We had Carter's 9 month doctor's visit today! 

The first thing I find myself thinking is  How are we here already?!?!  And that is immediately followed with an excitement for all of the new things Carter will be able to do....like my favorite, eat what we eat! :)  I have been given the green light to feed Carter what I want to now and it's about to be a thrilling experience for my little guy!  I have already been sneaking him pieces of what we eat, but cautiously in fear of giving him something that is harmful.  But now I feel like the doors are open and we can go hog wild!  So, for his 9 month celebration, we had lunch with Rachel and Katie at Panera and he got to eat part of my turkey sandwich and apple.  He was loving it! :)
So, the report card:
Carter weighs 19 lbs 7 oz which puts him in the 40th percentile.  I'm NOT surprised.  This kid is truly moving from the moment he's awake until the moment he crashes.  My scale at home has said about the same and initially I was a bit concerned that he gained so little since his 6 month checkup (1.5 lbs) but realizing how much he is moving makes it understandable.  He was 29 and 7/8 inches long putting him in the 90th percentile.  We were told repeatedly that he was "long and lean".  Dr. Burns was getting quite the kick out of him for his curiosity with that long, cold thing she kept putting on his chest (maybe I have a future doctor in the making) and his legs and arms that were just a movin'.  She thought he was pretty funny! :)  He has a way of charming everyone. 
The main thing from this appointment was discussing his foods, his upcoming skills, and the fact that next time we come he will be 1....year....old.....  NO WAY! 
So, what're his skills?
Crawling:  Yes he issss!!  Today he crawled from one end of the living room to the other because he saw my sister's dog and NEEDED to touch him! :)  He's a boy on the move now for sure!!!  He came home and followed that up with multiple across-the-room crawls.  He's everywhere now!

Pulling up:  This is definitely Carter's favorite right now!  Anything and everything is something that can be pulled up on!!  He loves being near the couch, and he's F*A*S*T!  It's not safe to take an eye off him because sure enough, he is up on something and that is followed by a quick fall to the floor.  TV stands, chairs, toys, anything that are in his vicinity are his walking sticks!  Furniture beware!  Pulling up is done with 2 hands and a mouth that slobbers! 

Are you watching me?

Pulled up on his music table and is serenading us!

Cruisin:  Once he's up, he's moving.  He does not want to be still.  He wants to find his way (quickly) to the other side of the couch, the room, the house.  He loves loves loves being walked holding his hands.  Any mobility he can get, he wants!  I think that's why he loves his car walker so much too. 

Kissing:  A Carter favorite, and FOR SURE a Mommy favorite.  I get to be the recipient of his sweet kisses over and over and over.  Ohhhh, it's the best game.  He knows how stinkin cute he is too because he kisses me, then looks at me with a huge smile, and of course I encourage it with "oooo how sweet!  Thank you for the kisses" and that just leads him to give me another one! :)  The best kisses though are the ones when he is intently playing on his own, turns back quickly to see if I'm there, reaches for me and plants a big one on my cheek, and then turns back around to play some more.  Those are some sweet moments where he just thought to himself, I love Mommy and need to show her! OOOOO he melts my heart.

Mimicking Games (peek a boo, shape sorting, making faces we are making):  Peek a boo has become so much fun with Carter because he now likes to be the one hiding.  He takes any object he finds and puts it in front of his face.  Then he moves it quickly and the person on the other end is greeted with a hopeful smile!  His efforts are rewarded with Peek a BOO!  :)  And that makes him laugh and do it again.  He also loves to put his face down in a pillow and play that way!  It brings him lots of giggles if after he does it, the other person does it too.  It's so much fun right now with him being in a stage where he can play with me.  He loves his shape sorter.  If I put a shape in the sorter, he wants to also, so I guide him to do it and he smiles ear to ear.  Anything that we are doing, he wants to do too.  It's amazing to watch these developments.  He is growing and getting so smart!  He is fascinated by the way things work and what they do and how they are.  He studies them closely to try to understand them.  He does the same thing with what he sees people doing.  He studies and figures out how he can do it and then mimicks it.  I love this stage!

Carter is playing peek a boo with me!

Waving:  Ok, another fave!!  I guess I love everything he's doing right now!  He waves to anyone: hi and bye.  He waves to our car when we go out to it...I like to think it's because he's genius and knows we are leaving in the car! :)  He waves to animals that are near him, and doors that we are entering through.  His wave isn't the flapping arm, its the hand open and close as if he was squeezing a stress ball.  I LOVE IT!!!! 

High Five:  Usually only performed for Mommy.  I guess it's our little thing.  But her sure does love giving high fives!  They make him happy.

Some of his other favorites are swimming:  he is a fish!  He gets giddy when we go to the pool and loves to splash around.

 He also loves jumping still!  Seriously, his nickname is Tigger.  He would be thrilled if that's all he could do for the rest of his life!! 

Watch Carter jumping in his crib!   I can't figure out how to load an iphone video so here's a link to Youtube of his Tiggerisms.  :)
And of course, he loves sitting or rolling or jumping into anything he can!

I love baskets!

Must get in my toy basket!

He is just growing and developing and I am in awe of how many changes kids go through in such a short time.  It's hard to think that 9 short months ago, he was sleeping about 19 hours a day and unable to do anything other than nurse, sleep, and look into space.  Now, he's so full of life, curiosity and love.   I'm excited to watch the continual growth and I'll let you know when the walking starts happening (my guess is it won't be too long).  YIKES!!  That's quite the thought. 
And a fun sign off....When he doesn't like something, he lets us know too!  Here's how he felt about his lunch! .....  clearly it's better to be worn than eaten!

On the MOVE!!

My big boy has been wanting to get moving!!  He's trying with everything he's got.  He crawls now in small spurts, but that doesn't stop him from being EVERYWHERE!  He twists and turns and moves from knees and hands to sitting up, he gets where he wants to go!  AND NOW!.....He's pulling up...on EVERYTHING!!!  The scary thing with him though is that he "trust falls" all the time.  He will pull up, walk the couch and then with a straight body, fling backwards!!  YIKES!  But it's fun to watch him grow!!
The first video is when he began trying to pull up, I'm overly jumpy behind him because of those trust falls he does!  He's bumped his head pretty hard a time or two.  :)

 Please ignore my cheerleader voice exclamation encouraging Carter!  I think I was hyped up on coffee and excited to see him moving!!  A bit over done! :)  But watch how BIG he is!!