Halloween 2013

We had a great Halloween even though it was just a couple days before Halloween when I decided I should probably get costumes for our kids.  Addison was all over the place with what she wanted to be... a hero, a princess, a cowgirl... so Mommy went to the store and Minnie Mouse it was!

 

First, some pictures in the morning before school.

 

The day seemed to drag by for Mommy but finally it was time for pickup at school and to get my little ones home for a fun night.  Miss A was the cutest little Minnie around and totally into trick or treating this year.  We kept thinking it was our last Street and then she would want one more... just one more... and one more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A super fun night with our sweet girl while Bubba slept in his stroller and a fun treat for Nana to join us! Can't wait for next year when we have a little man walking around with us.

 

PS. I think Halloween should always be on a weekend, just sayin'

Newborn Pictures...times TWO

I cannot get enough of this cuteness!  I had so much fun, with the help of my sister, my mom, and two of the cutest models ever, capturing these little miracles "tinyness" just shortly after they were discharged from the NICU.  

We set up shop in our dining room, said a prayer, and started snappin'.   There is nothing like a newborn baby, nothing.  They are the best thing ever.

Here are my precious nieces, all 4 pounds of Miss Harper Marie (right) and almost 6 pounds of her precious sister, Miss Landry Elizabeth (left).

 

They are definitely not perfect or professional but boy, they are precious.  I just love, love, love these little ladies and their Momma and Daddy. 

 

Landry and Harper are 4.5 months now and doing so well.  I stare at them in awe just to think of how much they have grown since their birthday.  Over 20 lbs of cuteness now between them and just the sweetest things ever.

Luke: 5 Months

Oh boy, you are just the sweetest little guy ever! We have had so much fun with you this past month.  You are all smiles and just so happy.  Your giggles are the absolute best and completely contagious.  I have found myself just starring at you in awe of the miracle you are.  From my belly just 5 months ago to this adorable, cuddly, full of life little guy you are now is the most amazing thing to witness.  

At 5 months you ...

• are eating 7 oz at every feeding, 6 feedings a day, every 3 hours
• breast milk only, always from a bottle
• Your nighttime routine is bath around 6:00 pm, bottle.... another bottle around 8 and in bed by 8:30 at the latest.  You cluster feed a bit at night.  Just in the past week you are sleeping through the night!  10 hrs.  Yes, 10 hrs!   For a week straight... in bed by 8 and sleeping until 6:30. You wake up so alert and happy.
• hate cereal. Hate it.
• sleep on your tummy
• LOVE your fingers.  They are in your mouth ALL the time.

• are no longer swaddled!
• still have your umbilical hernia but it is getting smaller. I have a feeling it will be completely gone in the next month.
• are SITTING UP!  You are so, so strong!  You are a little tipsy but for the most part, you are sitting up and playing with your toys like a big old boy.  You amaze us with your flexibility as you can fold completely in half and pop right back up to a sitting position.
• have a clear eye now!  Your clogged tear duct opened up and boy do we love that wide-eyed grin you give us!  

• love your bath now that you are in your bath seat and are starting to play with your bath toys.
• are ready for a bigger car seat.  You are over that laying back, infant-carrier business.
• you pull my hair daily... and it hurts!  You have such a grip!

• are SO talkative.  
• are very routine with your diapers... if you haven't had a blow-out by 7 am... it is an off day!
• have a new friend at school and are no longer the youngest but I think you are still their favorite :) 
• still not the best napper but if you are sleeping at night, I will take you awake during the day!  

• need a haircut!  Your hair is thinning around where you lay your head down to sleep.  It is growing long on top and over your ears... we need a trim.
• have such handsome blue eyes

• LOVE your jumper.  You will entertain yourself for close to an hour and go pretty crazy.  It makes Mommy laugh out loud.
• are starting to use your walker!
• are teething.  BAD....SO.MUCH.DROOL.   Just as you start to get a good sleep pattern down of course!
• are wearing 9 month clothes
• are in size 3 diapers.

Happy 5 months Luke Matthew!
You bring so much joy to our lives and we just love you so!
Thank you Lord for the gift of life!  It is the most amazing blessing!

School Pictures - Fall 2014

We aren't school-pictures-orderers....I just snag the proofs and they work for baby books! I love that they took sibling pictures at school,  I just wish this Momma knew that and we would have coordinated a little bit better.

Love these two more than they will ever know!

Luke: 4 Months

 

Our little giant, sweet, full of rolls baby boy... we love you so and you are 4 months old today!  

At 4 months you ...

• are eating 6 oz at every feeding (at least), 6 feedings a day, every 3 hours
• breast milk only, always from a bottle
• sleeping consistently 7-8 hours straight at night!  A few weeks ago, you starting sleeping consistently 10:30 to 6:30 am.  We love you even more now sweet boy!  You wake up so happy and alert.  You may have an off night but once or twice a week is doable.  
• Your nighttime routine is bath around 6:30/7 pm, bottle, and in bed by 8/8:30.  I still "wake" you around 10/10:30 for a  dream feed.  It seems to be working so we will hang onto that feeding for now.   You don't really ever open your eyes during your dream feed but you suck down your bottle!  

 

• are rolling over!!  You love being on your tummy and it is only seconds after being on your back before you flip over. 
• LOVE your fingers.  They are in your mouth a lot these days.  We would really like another month of good sleeping habits before you start teething, okay?

 

• still sleep in your crib swaddled, arms out. We are starting to swaddle only your little bottle and leave your arms and legs free.  The other morning I found you sleeping soundly on your tummy.

• still have your umbilical hernia but it is getting smaller.  We are ready for that to go away any day now.
• are no longer taking your reflux meds.  Yay!
• still have that your clogged tear-duct.  I am looking forward to Dr. G taking a look at that at your check-up.  

 

• love to sit up and see the world whether it is in your bumbo or someone's arms.  
• dislike being held like a baby
• are bathing in your bumbo seat or bath seat.  No more infant bath tub!
• sat up in the shopping cart for the first time yesterday with Mommy.  You loved it but were exhausted after our outing.
• love your big sister and always give her the biggest grins and giggles.

 

 

• are finding your toys.  You love to grab onto things these days and boy, you have a grip!
• LOVE singing songs with hand motions.  Your favorite is Patty Cake with Wheels on the Bus a close second.
• enjoy being outside.  If you are fussy, we head outside and it calms you down.  
• sat in a swing at the park for the first time this past month and went swinging in your swing here at home for the first time last night.  You love it.
• are loved so much at school.  They love on you and your rolls.  
• are the youngest in your class at school.

 

• are not the best napper.  We will take nighttime over day time sleep but I hope that gets more and more regulated.  You usually get a good 1.5 to 2 hr nap once or twice a week but besides that it is 30 minutes here and 30 minutes there.  
• still have that pretty hair, it has thinned out here and there but it is sticking around.
• have such handsome blue eyes
• are wearing 6 month clothes.  some 9 months and even a 12 month outfit!
• are in size 3 diapers.  Good lord.

 

You are so sweet little man.  Your smile is contagious.  You are our little chunk of love and we love you so, so much. 

 

Happy 4 months Luke Matthew!

Potty Party

It was time.  All the signs were there like taking off a dirty diaper and hiding it.  The girl didn't like being wet or dirty.  So we committed over Labor Day weekend and embarked on potty training.  Addison loves herself a party and presents so we made it just that.... 

POTTY PARTY!

Yes, friends. This post is about potty training.

We were committed to the 3-day training program other than I didn't want to start on Saturday because my sister was this way with her girls and well, they had to be seen!  So... we started Day 1 on a Sunday, with Monday as a holiday it worked out and she was off to school Tuesday in panties (and about 5 extra pairs just in case).

Here was our setup....

Potty Prizes (mini M&Ms)

Stickers, stickers and more stickers

Presents (thank you Target dollar bins)

Fruit Snacks for an extra treat

Fancy new water bottle for lots of drinking

Tracking Chart made by yours truly

Potty Seat 

Step Stool

First up.... a present full of big girl panties just after waking up on Day 1. We started with 10 pairs of underwear and since then I have bought another package so I wasn't always washing. 

Panties on and we "threw away" all her diapers.  

Then we waited... we waited for her to tell us she had to go...

She baked brownies with Daddy.

We played outside... 

We didn't leave her side and we still had 5 accidents by Sunday evening... 0 successes.  Then it clicked and before bed on Sunday we had success!  

My fancy chart was supposed to go like this...Each success she got a potty prize (M&M) ...  after 3 successes at the potty she would reach the star.   Stars mean presents.  Going #2 got a star right away.  That was a big deal.

Well, we were too ecstatic for the first success that we went straight to the presents.

Monday we had even more success and even #2.   We called Nana one time to share our fun news ... And Aunt Ashley ... And Mimi. This was news worthy, friends. 

Yes, my OCD was twitching that she wasn't following my apparent 5th-grade-level tracking chart... 

More presents... she got a new coloring book, toothbrush and toothpaste, a little purse (pencil pouch), a new shirt, a princess crown...

More success!!  And the stickers starting going everywhere....

Day 3 and she was off to school in panties.  My sweet, big 28-month old... potty trained.  Yes, we still have accidents but overall she is doing great.  At just under 2 weeks, she had her first accident-free day.  She is in a pull-up at night but that is whole different story... We need all the sleep we can get with a 3-Month old so we caved and opted for a pull-up at night. Problem is she won't go in it.  She wakes up crying because she doesn't want to go in her pants.   Bless her. 

 We are still constantly telling her to remember to tell Mommy and Daddy when she has to go.  She also tells Bubba just in case he was feeling left out. 

There you have it... that is what worked for us!  

We now have our very own Potty Princess in the Carson house!

Stay at Home Mom - Our Summer

I had the blessing of staying home for 12 weeks after Luke was born.  Those 3 months flew by way too fast but boy did I enjoy every second.  I will be the first to say, being a stay at home mom isn't a walk in the park but the precious moments sure do outweigh the tantrums and the tears, and it is still on my list for "someday".

Here is a bit more of the fun we had this summer.  I promise Luke was present too!

Play-date at Nana's 

Story time at the Train Museum and park play after...

Packing...and more packing

Princess dance parties...

Popsicles...

Park fun...

Baking with Mommy...

more popsicles...

Stayed in our jammies all day... PJ Party!! 
(and bought our chunk some bigger clothes!)

 

More fun at the park...

 and a little playhouse fun! 

Such a fun summer ... makes me sad to see it end.  I'll look forward to "someday" and for now, cherish each moment I get with my babies.