My Baby is 18 Months

Been a while since I have updated you all on the Edwards Family Happening. We have been SO busy! (to say the least) As I sit here tonight Chris is still at work and it is 9:23pm and he got there at 8am. That is just the beginning. Today was the 6th day in a row that I worked. Thankfully I am off tomorrow, but I am dreading Thursday when I have to make the 45 min drive to the hospital again.

I do not mean to complain, We have just been extremely busy and this mom is tired. On the bright-side...from the 24th until January 5th I am off work. We will be heading down to Florida for Capital One Bowl Game where the Michigan State University Football team will face Georgia. So the pay off for Chris' long hours is worth it in the end. We just miss our daddy when he is gone!

Just some updates on some recent happenings: Thanksgiving was spent at Chris' families. Thanksgiving morning Carter went bowling for the first time. He had fun running down the lanes and playing w/ his cousins. Carter Also enjoyed some whipped cream on this special occassion. Since he has the egg allergy there weren't many options for desserts, but he was JUST FINE eating the whipped cream as you can see.

Carter has discovered the snow and loves playing in it. When ever he sees it he yells at the top of his lungs "NOOOOOOO" At first I thought he was just saying NO, because that is a regular word he likes to use. But when I listened to the tone in his voice I realized what he meant was SNOW.
We Also has been preparing him for Santa and Christmas. He has learned how to say santa and snowman. He looks at santa and knows what he looks like. I thought this was very cute until we were at the playplace in the middle of the mall and a man was sitting across the play place who just happened to have a white beard, wearing a green vest and red shirt with a big round belly. Carter took one look at him and YELLED "SANTA!" I had to laugh because the resemblance was so close, however this man was watching his grandson play and he was not trying to be santa at all!!! I giggled about that one for days.

Carter turned 18 months on Dec 7th (and is in nursery). It seemed like that day and ever since, he has grown up si much. It seemed like it happened overnight. He is doing some interesting things and definitely has an opinion and wants to be heard. Here are a few things from Carter's world....

-Dr's appointment Dec 10th weighed in at 22lbs 3/4 ounces, 32-3/4" long, and head circumference 18". 15%tile for wt and 50%tile for Ht.

-He has learned so many words now that I cannot name them all. Each day is a new word. Yesterday he said "Todle" for TURTLE, Chris is trying to get him to say Hospital it usually comes out as "os-bi-ble" or something like that. Also when I ask Carter, "Where is Daddy?" He responds very quickly "Fooball". Carter is putting 2 words together and gets his point across very well.

-He is climbing everything, including the pack-n-play at the babysitter. The other day he climbed up the computer desk. He truly is a monkey.

-He has also learned how to take off his own pants and does so when he wants. We try to stay away from elastic bands just for that reason.

-He is almost ready for the potty training. The baby sitter who has a son that will be 2 in January just broke her son and he is wearing big-boy pants and Carter watches him using the potty. So Carter asks to use the potty and pulls at his diaper. I let him sit on the potty and usually he just "holds" himself, but he is interested. The goal is after vacation and holidays we will be on that potty!!! I think he can get it! I will keep my fingers crossed.

-Carter is going to nursery now that he is 18 months...his first day was great. He left my side without even looking back. When we left church he was asleep before we even left the parking lot! He was pooped, but mom was happy. No more wrestling, for now!

-He loves to watch "Elmo's World" and "Little Einsteins" as much as I am anti watching television, sometimes that is the only way I get dinner made and on the table.

Gosh, I could gush about Carter all night long, but I won't bore you. He just makes me melt and giggle, while other moments he has so much energy I don't know what to do with him. He is just so curious and determined.

Last pic I will include is one of Carter and Chris looking at a Tiffany's catalog. Chris is starting him young! I had to laugh but he insisted on having daddy read this book to him that night.

We will keep everyone posted on our Florida vacation and job opportunities for Chris. Yes, Chris defends this Thursday and then he will officially be done w/ his master's degree!!! Yeah, we are so excited. We are on the job search, so hopefully something will come soo.

HAPPY TURKEY DAY

I am grateful tonight for so much. I love Thanksgiving every year. I do have to work this year, but hopefully it will not be too crazy. Just dropping a post to remind you all to check out my bag blog. I have updated my blog with 10 bags for sale. Check them out. http://hilarybrookecollection.blogspot.com

"Monkey Eats the Banana"

I had to blog this...Today I picked Carter up from the babysitters. His new thing is to throw little fits when it is time to come home from her house. He used to say "Momma" when I got there, not he says "No". He wants to stay and play and I come and ruin his fun. It makes this mommy feel bad, but I hear it is normal.

Anyway, he did not take his normal afternoon nap, so he was a bit tired. However I had to go to the grocery store for some staples. I knew it would be hard to make it through so I gave into his request for the "Dora the Explorer" video cart. (It was my first time) Things were going well and he was entertained for the moment. Until he saw the bananas!!! He loves bananas and he wanted one RIGHT THEN! I thought, "OK, he can hold a banana, no harm in that". He was happy just holding it and was sticking the end in his mouth. He was quiet for awhile, when I looked down to see that half of the banana was gone!!! He had opened the banana and peeled it back and began to eat.

So what do I do? Take it away...and have him throw a hairy fit in the middle of the store? Nope, not today! So I let him enjoy his treat, I just needed to get through the store. I went back to thr bananas (keeping them out of his sight this time) and grabbed one more. I told the lady at the check out to weigh the banana and keep it because my child had already finished his and we needed to pay for it. She could tell by the sticky mess all over his clothes and face that I was telling the truth. All I could do was smile at my little "monkey" I had to laugh! I came home and took a picture of my messy boy. I love this kid and he keeps me on my toes, I never know what to expect from him!!!

You can't see how much of it was all over him, but believe me it was EVERYWHERE!

Warm Weather in November!

It is such beautiful day today we had to enjoy it outside. It was 71 degrees this morning-IN MICHIGAN!!! I took Carter to the park with my friend Megan (who actually watches Carter 3 days a week) and her son Carick. We played in the leaves and climbed the slides. Carter even fell off the side of the slide head-first. We "dusted-it-off" and no tears were shed. The fall colors are almost all gone, but we got a few pictures.

He loves the swing!

Carter and Carrick--Carrick is will be 2 in January and Carter will be 17 months on the 7th. One has lots of hair, the other NOT SO MUCH! (It is growing though)

Our Monkey goes Trick-or-Treating

We went to Chris' parents home tonight for the anual trick-or-treating w/ yummy treats. All the cousins that live close were there. Here is Carter w/ cousin Calie. They are about 3 weeks apart in age. Carter figured our the "Trick-or-Treating" thing real quick.

He realized that if he got out of the wagon he got something yummy. Then he wouldn't give them up. He had a death grip on that candy. The chocolate was totally melted when I finally pried it out of his tiny fingers.

He refused to take one single picture looking straight on at the camera. I still got some good pics. He was the cutes monkey I had seen.

Here are all the cousins. They had a good time together.

He wanted the lolipop, unfortunately mommy wouldn't let him have it. So he started sucking off the wrapper. He was going to get to the sweets one way or another.

We had a great day. Chris had to work so we went to see him all dressed up at work. He "trick or treated" to all the coaches offices. He made them all smile. All he could say was "Football" because it's all over the office and he loves to see it.

Happy Halloween to all our loved ones.