Farm Day

As Carter gets older, we are realizing the importance of making memories. With a busy toddler, it is sometimes hard to pause and enjoy this age. With that in mind, and grandparents in tow, we made the 30 minute drive to a farm up the road.

Carter was beside himself with excitement over all the fun things to do and see. There was so much for a little one to take in, his little face had a smile plastered the entire time. The candy shop was no exception.

I'll have this one please!

If you know Carter, you know his love for animals. It may be thanks to his dogs at home, but this kid wants to play with any mammal he spots, and will often point them out before James and I even see them. This was his first experience with a cow however, and he wasn't sure he liked the size discrepancy. Good thing Dad was there to step in and help out!

Another discovery was the pocket in his shorts! He was so confused as to what it was, and then not so happy when he couldn't figure out how to get his arm out.

After the arm was retrieved from the pocket hostage, Cater went on to the job at hand, feeding as many animals lettuce as he could get to come to him. He was so brave and thought the animals were hilarious, even if he called them all "doggies" and then barked at them. Poor kid needs more play dates, I suspect he thinks he is a dog.

He even stole peaches from the trees in the orchard during a picture. Does that face look guilty? I didn't think so either. Good thing he is so cute.

It was a wonderful day with lots of sunshine and happy times. We will definitely be doing more of these days in the future.

Bedtime treat

After Carter came home from the hospital, time began to fly. He went from a tiny baby needing help even to support his head, to a running toddler in what seems like a moment. I often become nostalgic thinking back to when he would fall asleep on my chest, and his favorite place to be was in my arms. Now he is rarely still long enough to get get his diaper changed (and that is a Olympic feat itself) never mind cuddle with his momma.

The Mathews' bedtime routine is fairly structured, with the big event changing little man into his pj's. My job is usually to pin Carter down while James works faster than a NASCAR pit crew to get clothes on the little man before he manages to get out of my grasp. Imagine my surprise when in the middle of changing Carter, he set his head down on me and decided to stay and cuddle! Now it could have been a ploy to delay bedtime, but I am taking it as a sweet bedtime treat.

I love my little man and was so glad to soak up the moment while it lasted.

The Enforcer

Someone informed me they were not happy about my lack of blogging. He is pretty tough sometimes. So I promised I would be much better in the future and post more pictures of him since I am a very proud mom. That made him much happier.

We may be biased...

but we think Carter is stinking cute! This happy boy is almost ten months now and enjoying life to the fullest! He is constantly smiling and laughing. He is also enjoying his new found independence as he is an expert crawler and furniture walker. This kid is fast!

With all of the beautiful California weather, we have been doing a lot of weekend outings. Last week we went to Jalama Beach and Carter was in love. He is quiet the beach boy, three beach days in the first nine months of life!

Carter loves the sand, the people and the sound of the waves. He cannot get enough of it. It was hard containing him to the blanket and he did not mind being covered in sand. He even ate some, yum!

Speaking of things Carter loves, let me tell you about the pantry. Luckily the lowest shelf is my baking things because he has to pull everything out and throw it. He especially loves to play with the marshmallow bag, and he has an affinity for cake mixes. Luckily he is so cute, it is hard not to stop him while he is giggling and talking to the chocolate chips.

YIKES!!

Have I really not been online since December?! Facebook is sending me emails that I have 20-something friend requests and a ton of other things happen to my account since I have last been on. Guess we have been a little busy around here since I went back to work! April 15 can not come soon enough, and then work will be a lot less stressful and I can go back to having weekends again. But enough about that, lets talk Carter!

Little mister is almost six months old and is teething quite badly. Any day now I expect the pearly white to make its entrance. He is the expert tummy roller, but only to the left. We have been working on sitting lately, and his little muscles are developing great. He loves watching his dogs and listening to James speak Polish to him. Carter found his voice early on, and sings to us regularly. Oh and this kid lives to go outside. Even if he is in the middle of a meltdown, if we go outside, he is all smiles. He loves looking at trees, feeling the wind and touching flowers.

For the last month Carter has become aware of what food is, and he wants it! Good thing the Easter bunny brought rice cereal. One more week and he is all over that. We have a little water boy on our hands. He loves showers, baths, and especially our water bottles.

Our next adventure is Utah! The three of us are going to Park City May 1 thru May 8. We can't wait to see old friends, meet babies, and enjoy the time together.

Carter, of course

I thought I would be so much better at posting while I was on maternity leave but I guess not! It is crazy to think that Carter is two months old now. He has changed so much already and it is so fun watching him discover the world around him. He loves to watch faces and lights and has started to roll over. Carter has also found his smile and he busts it out especially after being changed from a dirty diaper. At his seven week appointment, he weighed in at 11 pounds 3 oz and 22 3/4 inches long. He is out of newborn clothes which is sad and some of the three month clothes are getting short!
We have been battling baby acne for a while now but it seems to be getting better. He loves to take showers with James and get his hair washed in the sink. With all the hair he has, we need to wash it ever couple days but I guess beauty has it price! His eyebrows and sideburns are red and the rest of his hair is still brown with blond highlights. Who knows which color this kid will keep. So far the eye color is grey/blue but I hear that changes until they are a year so I guess we will have to wait and see on that one.

Check out the disco moves! The week before Thanksgiving he was blessed and it was such a special day. Carter looked angelic in his outfit from the Rejholecs and we were blessed with family who traveled here for the big day. Another big day is coming up for our family, my sister Nicole is getting married March 20! Carter is very excited to be getting a new uncle. Also, we are taking our first plane trip to Idaho next week for Nicole's graduation. Look out Idaho, here we come! I am nervous to be flying with a baby and have no idea how I am going to pack everything, like the car seat. Hopefully everything works out!

A week old already?

I can't believe it, but Carter is a week old already. We survived a week! There is a serious learning curve when it comes to all this stuff, but it has been such a growing experience and James and I have discovered what a great team we are. I really have a great husband who is very hands on and helpful whenever he can.

We have found that Carter has a stubborn personality, wonder where he gets that? If he is hungry, he want to eat NOW, and if he needs his diaper changed there is no quieting him until his toosh is clean. We are finally getting the hang of nursing which has made a world of difference for both of us.

He had his first doctor appointment on Monday and the doctor said he is a keeper! He also loved the 'surfer hair'. Carter has also gained an ounce since leaving the hospital so that helps me know he is getting enough to eat, a big relief. All in all, we are all doing great and learning how to survive on a couple hours of sleep at a time. Our families have been a huge help watching him so we can take a nap or a shower.

Milestones of the week: first hair washing (check out the curls!) and sleeping four hours straight!