52:22 - wrinkles

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Some of my supposed to be great ideas turn out to be the biggest flops.  Like his birthday present balance bike - he's still not into it!  Or the water table I bought Carter last year.  FLOP!  The hose and a puddle of mud and rocks captured his attention much, much longer than the water table.  Now, a year later I told Joe I wanted to get Carter a little blow up pool.  He was on board.  My mom, however, thought it was going to be a waste of money.  A small blow up pool is eight bucks.  For eight bucks it can be a flop.  Turns out those eight bucks were some of the best spent money ever.  To say he had a fun is a serious understatement.  He played non stop, all day long with this little pool.  He had fun!  We had fun, the dogs had fun.... and Mya was really sleepy that day and missed most of it! 

52:21 - eye opening

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These kids and the way they love each other is beyond words amazing.  Mya came out having this intense love for Carter.  It's adorable.  Carter, on the other hand, hasn't always paid much attention to Mya.  He'd randomly hug her or kiss her, but lately he is much more interested in what she's doing and wanting to interact with her.  Most mornings Mya spends a little time in her jumper.  Usually I'm cleaning up breakfast at this point.  One morning my back was turned to them and I hear "hi honey!" from Carter and turn to see him waving at her and sitting right in front of her face.  Adorable!  Now he does this almost every time she is in the jumper. 

project 52:20 - fast

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This weekend marked another milestone in my little dude growing up.  We converted his crib into a big boy bed.  *sniff, sniff*  We were a little nervous at all of the freedom that went with a big boy bed, but we knew we had to do it.  Carter was having a tough time sleeping in his crib.  He'd toss and turn like he couldn't get comfortable.  He'd do this for hours each night and before naps too.  

Saturday morning we made a super big deal about converting his crib into a big boy bed.  Carter still has a love for all things tools.  Bolts, screws, allen wrenches, etc.  Converting his crib into a bed was right up his alley!  After the transition was complete we all rested in his bed for a minute.  Carter had this huge happy grin on his face!

Then it was nap time.  Here came the real test.  We did our usual routine - reading books in his chair, then hugs and kisses before I put him in bed.  I laid him down in his big boy bed.  He sat and watched me walk to the door.  As soon as I turned the door knob he cried.  It was such a sad cry that I turned around and walked over to him.  He grabbed my hand and pulled me into his bed.  I laid down and he snuggle up against me so I was spooning him.  He turned on his seahorse and laid very still in my arms.  No more than 10 minutes later he was out like a light.  Now, this wasn't what I had planned by any means.  I knew that I couldn't start a habit of laying with him while he napped, or while he fell asleep.  I still know I can't do that.  But in that very moment with my little blonde boy snuggled into me and sleeping peacefully I didn't care.  We've never snuggled like that for a nap and my heart was jumping up and down in my chest screaming with happiness.  It was a perfect moment and I wasn't about to let it go.  We napped for about an hour and half - he woke up as I was trying to sneak out.  I figured it wasn't a total loss.  As least he slept in his bed.  Any other time he's in a big bed he doesn't even come close to sleeping - he thinks beds are for jumping, so I figured it was a little win that he actually slept in his bed and didn't use as a trampoline.  

Bedtime.  Joe normally puts Carter to bed since I am busy putting Mya to bed.  So we decided to be consistent and have Joe do his normal thing.  But I made it clear that Joe was NOT to lay and sleeping with Carter.  (do as I say, not as I do :) ).  They read books and again Carter grabs Joe's hand to pull him into bed.  Joe obliges and they lay in bed for a bit together.  Maybe 10 minutes later Joe kissed Carter goodnight and left the room.  Carter wasn't impressed.  He sat in his bed crying for a bit.  Then it was like a light bulb went off and he remembered he could leave his bed.  He went to the door and cried, turned on his light and cried some more.  After 10 minutes of on and off crying he went to his bed, grabbed his big blue puppy and brought it to his rocking chair and rocked with his puppy.  Joe and I were watching on the video monitor with these ridiculous grins on our face at how cute this all was.  Then he read a few books on the floor.  About a half our later he got back into bed and laid down.  No more than 10 minutes after laying down he was asleep.  His light was still on, but he was snuggled in bed and sleeping!  Yeay Carter!  (I went up a bit later to turn off his light)  

He slept in bed all night and seemed to be pretty comfy as he didn't move around much.  At 5am I was up with Mya and turned on his video monitor - he was still asleep.  I went back to sleep and woke up at 7 and saw that his bed was empty.  I scanned his room with the video monitor and found him sitting by his bookshelf reading books on the floor.  What a great way to wake up on a Sunday morning.  

He's growing up so quickly.  And while I would like it to slow down I am enjoying each and every new stage just as much as the last. 

project 52:19 - mother's day & relationships

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Mother's day 2012 was perfect.  I slept in (6:45!), Joe made my breakfast of choice (eggs & toast), Joe did the dishes (although I have to give credit here - Joe does all of these things pretty regularly anyway), we went to the zoo with my parents, and then headed to Nana & Papa's house to play outside and grill.  And I didn't plan any of it!  (This is not something Joe does regularly :)  )  It was a perfect day.  The weather was amazing, Carter loved the zoo and his sandbox and the newly opened pool at Nana & Papa's.  It was relaxing and we spent some quality time with family.  This is the stuff living in MN is made of.  Throughout the day I kept noticing the relationships that Carter & Mya have.  Watching Carter at the zoo with Joe and Nana & Papa was enough to make it a perfect day on it's own.  Seeing Joe and Carter walking holding hands puts a crazy silly grin on my face, and watching Nana & Papa watch Carter laughing at the seals with the same silly grin on their faces makes me so very happy.  Hearing Mya squealing at Nana & Papa or dozing off in Nana's arms or watching them smooch on her.  *sigh*  Makes me so happy.  My complete little family of four, 2 perfect kids, a great husband, and my family all together.   

project 52:18 - messy

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We started potty training on Friday.  Carter hates wearing diapers and was constantly pulling at them and/or taking them off.  He had also shown interest in going potty on the potty so we figured we might as well give it a shot.  Day 1 we had two major accidents.  We let him play the ipad.  Mistake!  He becomes way too engrossed in his favorite apps and doesn't even realize he went potty in his underwear.  I chalk those accidents up to parent error.  We should have known better.  The rest of the weekend he did really great.  But by day 2.5 he was so over the novelty of the potty that he was starting to hold it for later.  He was getting frustrated with having to stop playing to go potty.  Because of this we decided to be way more relaxed on day 3.  We never made him "try" and we totally let him take the lead.  He did so awesome!  No major accidents.  He'd start going a tiny tiny bit then realize it and stop!  We even left the house and went for a walk in the stroller and let Carter walk too.  

Our only concern at this point is that he might be holding it until nap or nighttime.  We are still using a diaper for these times.  His nap diapers were flooded.....but we're not sure if that was because he was holding it or simply because we'd been giving him so many liquids.  I guess time will tell!

Wish me luck for this week when I'm alone with a potty training 2 year old and an almost 4 month old!  I'm hopeful that we'll move past me urging him and asking him if he has to go potty and get to the point where he specifically tells me he has to go potty.  

And yes I realize that this entire blog post is about bodily functions.  But hey, that is what is going on in our lives right now!  Washing diapers and little boy boxer briefs - which are really cute, by the way.  Being a mom is so glamorous sometimes.

two, two........fwee! (a video)

Carter has started counting.  Previously we'd tell him to count to fwee (three) then we'd toss him, or bounce, etc.  One time he said "two, two....fwee!" and we both laughed because it was so cute.... well when you laugh at something cute Carter remembers and now he counts to "two, two.....fwee" all the time.  We decided we needed to get it on video before we started making him do it correctly.  So here is "two, two.....fwee!" 

Video

Carter thought this ipad game was so funny for some silly reason!  His laugh is contagious!