11 months

Wow, Carter...in less then a month we'll be celebrating your 1st birthday! It's been so fun to watch your little personality develope each day. You are such a happy, content little guy. This last month you've continued being more mobile and have been practicing a "real" crawl (although you still prefer the "army crawl"). We took a trip to Newberg for a week, and while there you learned how to get to a sitting position all by yourself! You've started eating some big people food recently. You like crackers, bananas, and pizza crust.
You continue to sleep like a champ! You wake up around 7, take a nap from 8:30 or 9 until 10, then another nap from about 1-3:30 or 4, and you go to bed at 6:30. Some mornings you miss your morning nap, but you seem to deal with it pretty good.
It's been fun to watch you and jackson enjoy each other and we've even caught you guys playing together sometimes (without taking each other's toys!). You enjoy bathtime together. When you hear the bathtub being filled, you stop whatever you're doing and make your way to the tub as fast as you can...it's really cute!
We love you lots!

double digits!

Wow, Carter, you're 10 months old now (and 4 days). What a joy you continue to be to our family. Jackson just can't get enough of you. When you're napping he'll ask over and over, "Carter? Carter? Carter?". When you're up, he loves holding you, laughing with you, playing on the floor with you, and steam rolling over you. We're often saying, "Jackson get off your brother!".
You've perfected the army crawl and have enjoyed the freedom that brings.
Those pesky top teeth have still not made an appearance...hopefully soon. Teething is not a fun part of baby-hood (for you or mom).
Aunt Jennie came for a visit, but you didn't get to spend lots of time with her this time because she and mom did lots of scrapbooking while dad took care of you and Jack.
You had your 1st fat lip last month. Jackson was driving one of his metal tonka trucks around and smashed into your face. You got a small scrath above your eye and one below your nose as well as the fat lip. At first, Jack thought it was funny, but quickly realized you were hurt. He got his truck taken away and after you calmed down he said sorry and gave you kisses. Then all was right with the world again.
Today, while I was feeding you breakfast I was trying to get you to say "ma-ma"...but what did you say instead?..."da-da". Jackson did the same thing. Oh, well. I know one of these days you'll say ma-ma. We love you lots!

getting older

Carter,
Sorry for slacking on writing this month's letter. You turned 9 months old on September 1st...It's now the 14th! August didn't seem like a super busy month for us, but it sure did fly by. The highlight of the last month was your Tante Bean's (Aunt Elizabeth) wedding. The day started out overcast and rainy, but by picture time the weather was perfect (which was important since the wedding was outside at the camp). I (mom) was in the wedding so Dad had to have you and Jackson by himself...and you both behaved wonderfully!
You continue to move around more and more...we're pretty sure you'll start crawling here soon. You can sit like a champ and you will still eat anything we offer. You've started eating more solid food like puffs and cherrios. One of our favorite things now is to watch you and Jackson interact...you both get such a kick out of each other.
At your 9 month check up you weighed 19.1 lbs and were 27.5 inches. Still in the 25th percentile for both. The doctor said he seldom sees such a perfect growth curve...nicely done!
Well, I guess that covers it for this month...hopefully I'll get next month's letter written on time.
We love you lots!
Mom & Dad

another month...another blog post

Carter,
You are now 8 months old and counting. This month you've been rolling over a lot...this becomes a problem when all you want to do is roll and we're trying to change your diaper. You've also been sitting up lots more and have learned that you'd rather ride in the shopping cart than in your car seat. We like Costco because both you and Jackson get to ride in the same cart...you guys are so stinkin' cute! Also this month that pesky first tooth pushed it's way through. Followed quickly by tooth #2. You ended the month with a weekend without mommy. I had a fun girl's weekend and you, Jackson and daddy enjoyed a first guy's weekend!
We've introduced you to lots of new food (including peas again) and we're finding you are not a picky eater at all. You continue to giggle lots and have started interacting with Jackson more.
Lots of love to you little munchkin!

it is time for my montly blog post...

carter, you are now just over 7 months old! there has been lots of activity here at the camp. we've had staff training, a work week for our summer staffers, and sr. high camp. you've been around for parts of all of those things...and of course everyone loves to see you.
as i was thinking about what i wanted to tell you this month, i just kept thinking about the bond you and jackson have been forming. it warms my heart to see the two of you smile and laugh at each other. and i've been known to get a little teary-eyed when i'm holding you and jackson comes over and insists that he get a turn. he enjoys letting you sit on his lap and the two of you just giggle and giggle...it's so precious! our prayer is that you guys will continue to grow close and be great friends!
development wise, you've mastered the art of blowing raspberries....you get soaking wet, and it's quite entertaining. the last few days you've been saying "da-da-da" a ton (which of course your daddy loves to hear!) we've been trying to provide more floor time so you can practice rolling more, but you haven't quite gotten all the over from your back to your tummy yet.
we're still trying some different foods with you, but pears and sweet potatoes are still your favorites.
we also had a dedication service for you at church. we want to let you know that with the help of our family, church family and friends we will show you the love of God. we want you to grow up knowing that God loves you and we want you to love God. it was special that some of your extended family was able to be there.
carter, you are such a delight!
love, mom and dad

(pastor bob praying with carter)

oh my precious carter,
i'm a little over a week late, but happy half birthday. this is our 1st summer working at twin lakes friends camp and as expected, we've been very busy (that's my attempt at an excuse about being late with your 6 month letter...i'm sure you'll forgive me!).
you continue to be a happy, laid-back baby. and we continue to enjoy watching you grow and seeing your personality develop. if you have something to chew on, you're perfectly content (well...most the time). i thought for sure i'd be reporting that a new tooth made an appearance, but it's still playing hide and seek.
the biggest highlight of this last month was going to the coast for our every-other-year mardock family reunion. we had beautiful weather the whole time we were there...no rain and even very few clouds. that doesn't happen too often on the oregon coast. it was fun to see family and you did great the whole time...even sharing a room with your brother and parents.
you're growing as you should (taller more than chubbier). last month you were 25 percentile for height and weight and this month you were 45 percentile for height while you remained 25th for weight. when the doctor asked if you were rolling over from your back to tummy yet and had to tell him we weren't sure if you could. i think i mentioned before that we don't put you on the ground much due to a very active older brother in the house. so far you haven't gotten stepped on or sat upon, just the occasional toy car driven into the top of your head!
we noticed that you seem to like holding a blanket while you sleep so i got you a nice, little, soft one that's also a teddy bear and you snuggle with him during your naps and at night.
another new thing this month was the introduction to food! you have liked the sweet potatoes, tolerated the prunes and rice cereal and avocados, and you very much disliked the peas. jackson likes to watch you eat and he always wants to try a bite.
you are such a fun baby...we love you!
mom & dad

at the tillamook cheese factory (suckin' away on those 2 favorite fingers)

carter update

dear carter,
i can't believe how fast this month has flown by. with summer camp season just around the corner, i'm sure the next few months will go by just as quickly.
you are such a happy baby. you'll smile at anyone who talks to you...and you have such an adorable smile. i have to mention again that you continue to sleep wonderfully. this month you've mastered the art of falling asleep all by yourself! i love that you and jackson take long afternoon naps at the same time...it gives me time to check my email and catch up on chores around the house or to just sit and relax.
up until a few weeks ago, you slept in your car seat. because you slept so well, i didn't want to move you to the pack-n-play. however, you're getting bigger and starting to move around more, so it was time to move you. thankfully, you had no problem with the transition.
the snow has finally all melted (even though we had a couple days of snow in april). it's been nice having warmer weather.
i thought for sure i'd be saying that you got your 1st tooth. you've been teething something fierce, chomping on anything you can get your hands on. but, alas...no tooth yet.
you've finally grown out of your 3 month clothes. jackson was quite a bit bigger than you at 5 months...which is no big deal except all his summer clothes are way too big for you...i guess that means mommy gets to go shopping!
i can't believe that next time i write you'll be half a year old already...it's almost time to start food!
we love you lots!

carter's 4 months old

carter,
you're 4 months old now (and 2 days). you turned 4 months on your uncle matt's birthday. it also happened to be april fool's day. don't worry, we didn't play any jokes on you. you did, however, have to get shots at your doctor's appointment...which you weren't too thrilled about. the doctor said you're growing just like you should. you're in the 25th percentile for everything...height, weight and head circumference. very well proportioned.
you got your first cold this month. i'm actually surprised you made it 4 months without getting sick. you've dealt with it quite well and even with being sick, you're still sleeping at least 10 hours at night. you've continued sucking on your fingers and actually do that a lot. it's cute, you mostly suck on the 1st two fingers on your left hand and you use your right hand to help hold them in. you've also rolled over 3 or 4 times...from your tummy to your back. we don't put you on the floor as much as we did with jackson because he's still learning to be careful not to run right over you when you're on the floor. thankfully, you like sitting in the exersaucer and bouncy seat. you've even started grabbing toys and you mostly try to chew on them.
you're a pretty content boy and usually only get really fussy if you're extra tired.
your aunt jennie and cousins (micah and kiah) came for a visit during their spring break. it was fun to have company and they liked getting to see you and jackson again.
we enjoy watching you and seeing your personality start to develop. it's also fun to watch you and jackson start to interact more. he likes to hold you and share his snacks and sippy cup with you. i have to keep telling him that you're not quite old enough yet. (we'll see if he still wants to share when you are old enough!)
we've continued to get more snow even though the calendar says it's now spring. thankfully, it usually melts the same day it snows, but it'll sure be nice to have warmer weather.
hopefully when i write next month there will be no mention of more snow!
lots of love,
mom and dad

getting along

jackson wasn't exactly very fond of carter when we first brought him home. when i was changing carter's diaper, he'd wedge himself between be and the pack and play (there's a little changing table on it) and try to push me away from him. when i would feed carter, he'd come whine and pull on me or bring a book that he wanted me to read to him RIGHT NOW. sometimes he'd hear carter crying before i did and he'd come running to me and start fussing out of the blue. i realized he knew i'd be going to get carter and he wanted to be held instead. it was hard...i was always feeling like a sucky mom to at least one of the boys if not both.
thankfully, things have started to turn around. recently jackson will want to help hold the bottle when i feed carter. he no longer wedges himself between me and the pack and play while i try to change carter. and this last week he's been wanting to hold carter. it's so cute...except that he wants to carry him around and when i try to explain that carter's too big for him to carry around, he gets really upset. we're trying to teach him to sit down and hold carter on his lap.
one of the only issues now is that jackson doesn't get a binky anymore except for in his crib and in the car. carter, on the other hand, gets one all day. jackson's gotten a little sneaky and trys to snatch carter's binky. every now and then i'll give in and let jackson have it for awhile, but i'm finding he's getting to where he expects in now. i guess it's time to get more strict about it...i'll have to be the bad guy again.

carter's three months old!

well my little c-man,
i'm not surprised that you're already 3 months old, but it sure is flying by.
we started out the month with a road trip to aunt jennie and uncle jonah's in newberg. i drove with you and your brother and we stayed for nearly 2 weeks. it was nice for me to have your aunt jennie's help for a little bit.
you are still sleeping wonderfully at night...10.5 hours on average. and usually you'll eat and go back to sleep for another hour or 2! it is soooo nice for us to get a regular night's sleep.
in the last couple days you've started sucking on your fingers quite a bit. i can always tell when you're doing it because you make a loud slurping sound.
we got jackson's excersaucer out a couple weeks ago and you really enjoy sitting in it. you'll sit in it for quite awhile and talk to the toys.
you've been smiling and talking a lot. you'll really get talking if someone talks to you...it's super cute!
you've been getting more used to being in the nursery during bible study. and today was your first time in the nursery during church and we were told you did well.
we're looking forward to what this next month holds.
we love you lots!

thankful

today i'm thankful that i have boys that sleep well. jackson is a pro in the sleeping department and carter does quite well for a 10 week old. they are both sleeping right now...and have been for the last 2 hours. (and i'm thinking i'll get another hour out of them both!) i love when it works out that they're sleeping at the same time.
i was looking back over my blog and remembering that when jackson was carter's age he wouldn't take a nap for more than 40 minutes...and night time was a nightmare. carter will usually take at least one 2-3 hours nap each day and has been sleeping 8-9 hours at night and back for another 3-4 after getting changed and fed.
jackson now takes a 3 hour nap each afternoon (and sometimes an hour nap in the morning) and has slept 12-13 hours each night since he was about 9 months old...he goes down between 6 and 7 and doesn't usually wake up until 7am!
it's definitely been a challenge have 2 kiddos...but today i'm going to focus on the positives...and having babies that sleep is a postive for sure!

2 whole months

c-man,
you are now 2 whole months old. we've enjoyed seeing a little more of your personality come through. you're growing like you should. at your 2 month check up you weighed 10 pounds 6.5 ounces and were 22 1/4 inches long.
you've also started smiling a lot. you even giggled in your sleep once. one of my favorite things is how you smile as you're drifting off to sleep. i think you are going to be a happy baby.
we're also enjoying hearing your voice. you make such a cute cooing sound when we talk to you.
probably our most favorite thing that you did this month is sleep through the night. the last day of january was your 1st time. you slept from 8pm until 5am. and you've continued sleeping at least 7 hours in a row each night...keep it up!
well, this note is going to be short and sweet because you just woke up from a nap and are screaming to be held.
love,
mom and dad

lots of learning

jackson has been learning so much recently. i mentioned him saying bye and signing please. he's now learned how to blow kisses, say "woof-woof", he says "ooo" when he hurts himself (when it's not too bad to cry), and as he was sliding off the couch this morning i heard him saying "weee". he's so cute!

snow, snow, snow, snow, snow, snow...you get my drift

our area has broken a record for amount of snow fall so far this winter. we've had at least 12 feet of snow fall up at the camp...although there's only about 5 feet on the ground. last year i remember seeing dump trucks hauling away snow from store parking lots because they ran out of room to plow it. i'm sure that'll be happening again this year.
i'm just thankful we decided to trade in our taurus for a 4-wheel drive vehicle. i'd have been stuck at home most of last month.

jackson update

last week jackson learned the sign for "please" and said "bye"...two new things in one week! boy howdy, my boy's smart!

also, i learned why he's been so fussy recently (besides being a bit jealous of his little brother)...he's getting four molars at once. now that we've learned his reason for his behavior, we've given him some tylenol and he's been doing much better.

baby spanish

jackson was over playing with his cousins the other day. at one point the 3 of them were all hanging out around the table talking. lauren (3 years old) said that jackson didn't know how to talk yet to which daniel (5 years old) replied..."yes he does, he just speaks a spanish that no one else can understand."

1 month

dear carter,
i can't believe it's been a whole month already. your 1st couple weeks of life were pretty rough. you had to go to the doctor's office for the first four days after you were born to get poked in the heal. you were getting jaundice and they wanted to test your billirubin count to make sure it didn't get to a dangerous level. thankfully, buy the 4th day your numbers were down. however, that same night we had to take you to the hospital because you got a fever. they did all kinds of tests on you...poking and prodding and you were such a trooper. you had to be admitted and were there for 4 days. thankfully, you ended up just having a virus and your fever broke and we got to go home.
you also got your 1st hair cut at just 5 days old. the pediatric nurse wanted to shave your head in the spot where she was going to start the iv. she was really cute about it, saving the little bits of hair and taping them to a tongue depressor so i could scrapbook your "1st haircut".
after getting home, life became more normal (whatever "normal" is with 2 little guys under 18 months old!) you do the normal newborn things...eat, sleep, and go potty. when you're awake, you seem very alert, with your eyes wide open and taking in all that's going on around you. you're lifting your head quite a bit and trying to figure out what it is your arms and legs are supposed to do.
jackson is getting more used to having you around. although he still gets jealous when i have to feed you or hold you, we know he loves you. when daddy takes him down to bed each night, you are the first one he gives kisses to (even before mommy!) i'm looking forward to watching you guys grow up together and hopefully become great buddies.
during this last month you had your first christmas. you got all kinds of presents (books, toys, clothes) and of course your "my first christmas" pjs from us. you were supposed to have your first road trip to oregon, but we weren't able to go due to all the snow we had (over 5 feet) and all the snow in oregon. instead, we had christmas dinner at your oma and opa's house.
as of yesterday, you weigh 8lbs, 8ozs. so you've gained almost 2 whole pounds and you're beginning to look more like you and less like a newborn. we think you look like your daddy. we're excited to watch you grow and to see more of your personality come through.
we love you!