Finally!

Finally, after two weeks, Carter learned to get himself down from standing in his crib. And he is now napping peacefully. Woot!

Gimme meat!

Got a call from Dr. Cross the other night to tell me that Carter's bloodwork came back showing that he's "borderline anemic." She told me some foods he should eat more of (namely more chicken, turkey, etc.) and she also mentioned that eggs are a good source of iron. I was under the impression that eggs are a no-no until after one year old, but she said if there's no family history of allergy it's probably okay. I think he'll love eating eggs. Gonna scramble one up for him on Saturday morning (so we can observe him all day to see if there are any signs of allergy). Gotta head over to Wegman's first though, to get some organic eggs and chicken breasts for him.

We're also going to get him back on the Poly-vi-sol. It was a disaster trying to get him to take it when he was an infant, but I think it'll be much easier now. He loves taking medicine. :-)

Happy birthday!!

Happy 30th, my friend. It's all downhill from here.

Surprise from Grandpa!

Imagine Chris' surprise yesterday morning when he got a text from his Dad that he was in his office building waiting for him. Yep, his father who lives in Minnesota was in town for a class and it just happened to be in the same place where Chris works! Don was going to surprise Chris that he was in town, but the surprise was on him when he got to the building for his class and it was the same building as Chris' company! How weird is that?

Of course Carter and I were chomping at the bit to see him too. We hadn't seen him since Carter was a week old. I got off work early and we drove downtown and got to have dinner and walk around town. It was really nice. Carter behaved himself which is always a good thing. He leaves tonight to go back home but he's coming back in October for a few days.

What a great surprise!

9 Month Doctor's Appointment

Carter got to see his girlfriend, Dr. Cross, today and boy was he excited! He has such a crush on her. She walks in and he lights up. It's pretty darn cute.

And even after not being there for a few months (thank goodness!), one of the nurses still remembers "Mr. Kicky Feet." I love that she remembers him.

Anyway, the visit went well. He didn't get any shots, which was a welcome change. They did prick his finger to test for iron levels, and he was such a good boy! He sat in my lap while she did it and he didn't flinch or whine or anything. He just watched intently as she dripped his blood into the vial. He was fascinated. I told her I'm bringing him to her next time he needs his fingernails clipped. Um, which is like every other day.

His weight is still in the 11th percentile range at 17 lbs 14 oz. His height is 28 1/4 inches, which is the 52nd percentile, and his head is 45.6 cm which is 60th percentile. She said he's doing great and he's growing at a perfect curve. I asked if she was concerned at all about his weight and she said absolutely not. She said she's more concerned about the "overweight" babies than the ones built like Carter. She told me we're doing a great job and she's very happy with his progress. And then he smiled and flirted with her while we chatted, until she walked out the door. He kept watching the door as I was getting him dressed waiting for her to come back. He just loves her.

Thanks!

Thanks for all your suggestions! This afternoon I tried everyone's advice but finally what worked was just rocking him for 5 minutes until he fell asleep, and then rocking for five more minutes to make sure he was good and out, and then transferred him to his crib. He slept for over an hour!

I just don't want to make rocking him a habit.

Poor kid just needs to learn how to sit himself back down after standing and I think we'd be okay.

I turn to you

I'm turning to you, Internets, for help.

Here's the deal. Carter has not napped in over a week. Every once in a while he'll sleep for 45 minutes or so, but it's rare. He's obviously tired (whining, rubbing his eyes, laying his head down) but when I put him in his crib, he stands right up and starts screaming. I've tried putting him back down a gazillion times, holding his little butt down so he can't get up (this starts to work but then he pops back up as soon as I remove my hand 10 minutes later...a girl gets tired!), and letting him yell (which just makes him even more angry and eat more of his crib).

If I take him out of his crib, he's fine. Not yelling or screaming, although still obviously tired. If we get in the car, he falls asleep immediately in his carseat.

Nighttime is fine. He goes down without a fuss (please don't let this be a jinx!) and sleeps 11 hours or so. It's just napping.

Any suggestions?

Award!

I'm loved! Thanks Harmony and Relish! Thanks for delurking, Relish...I got the warm and fuzzies when I read that!

So, the rules:
1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of the people you’ve nominated

I love so many blogs. If y'all could see my Google Reader you'd be shocked that I have time to read them all.

Since I can only list 7, and some of my faves have already been "loved" I'll go with the ones that haven't yet. So, if you're not on the list, it doesn't mean I don't anxiously await each post. I just don't have room to love on everyone at once.

1. Canape. I'm sure she's been nominated a hundred times over, but I haven't seen it yet so I'm going for it. I adore this woman. We've been some very tough times, and some amazingly wonderful times together. She has an amazing heart and I'm always stunned by how beautifully she writes. And the fact that she named her son after my family is pretty cool too. ;-)

2. MB. She's a local mom with an adorable little girl named Marielle. She dresses in funny costumes for free food, which makes me want to be her friend. I can hang with a chick like that.

3. Jess. A blogger turned real-life friend. She reached out to me when we didn't even know each other to give us Carter's expensive bottles because she had extra from her FIVE little ones. Seriously, who does that?? Her emails crack me up and I love being able to see her every once in a while. She took fabulous photos of us last weekend that I can't wait to post when she gets back from her vacay. She has a very full life, yet still manages to find time to be a friend. That amazes me.

4. Andria. She sucked me in with her gossip site, then we got to know each other through our losses, and now we're supporting each other watching our babies grow up. She even helped me get pregnant! Sort of. She recommended I drink lots of green tea, and I did, and got pregnant that month. So did she. Fate, I think. She's really funny, and introspective, and manages to keep up with her friends' lives with a memory that just surprises me every time. And she just got attacked by a bobcat, which is such a strange thing for a city girl like me to hear about. I thought they only had bobcats in zoos.

5. Sarah. My sort-of sister-in-law. I love that she started blogging. I feel like I've really gotten to know her that way. What I like about Sarah is that when she first was dating my brother she made an effort to get to know me. She'd send me long emails giving me insights into her life before meeting us. I really appreciate that about her. And it cracks me up that she calls her cat Bastard.

6. I'm not Skippy, Jr. I have no clue how we found each other, but Parker and Carter are pretty much in sync with each other. If one starts teething, so does the other. If one won't sleep, neither will the other. It's a little weird. Plus, I love that he's a dad that blogs about his family. And he has a great sense of humor.

7. B-Side. Dude just cracks me up. I followed him over from TVGasm and haven't looked back. We watch the same shows and have the same weird thoughts and I got all excited when I saw him in the audience of Big Brother. I pointed him out to Chris and felt like I knew the person on tv.

Snacktime

When did he get old enough to sit with all the other kids like this???

Tee hee!

Dulles Town Center is getting a new store. Sounds awesome, but their website worries me a bit...

Nutty Bars

Seriously, Nutty Bars should be a controlled substance.

That is all.

New stroller

I think he likes it.

Also, he likes yogurt.Oh, and eating his crib, apparently. He's still giving us trouble with naps and when he's standing up and screaming, he's also scraping his bottom teeth on the crib.

Nine months

Our boy is nine months old today. Outside my womb as long as he was inside. It's amazing how much he has enriched our lives. Watching him learn and grow every day has been the greatest gift.

It seems that each day brings a new milestone. Yesterday? He signed "ball." His first sign. It may have been an accident, but he did it twice so it counts in my book.

It's so fun watching him discover things. Right now, he loves buttons. He sees a button on my shirt or my pants and he's instantly focused on it, using his little index finger to poke and scrape at it, and then look at me for approval. Every discovery needs our approval, and I love it.

Two weeks ago, I taught him to bang things together. If I take two blocks and hit them together, he wants those blocks, puts one in each hand, and brings them together just like I did. And then smiles and looks at me for approval. He gets it every time. I'm so proud of him.

He pulls himself up like he's always been able to. Reach, plant the foot, up he goes. He's not even shaky anymore. It's amazing how quickly something that was once so difficult becomes second nature. If we balance him just right, he can stand on his own for a second or two. But then he gets too excited and topples over. He's much more comfortable holding on with one hand, while waving with the other to show us how grown up he is.

His smile lights up a room, and the way he whispers Dada in a sweet little voice makes my heart squeeze. There's something about that boy that's just magical.

Napping strike

Oh man, yesterday was rough. Carter took one 45 minute nap all day long. It was miserable. The problem? Every time I put him in his crib, he pulled himself to standing and screamed for me. I tried putting him back down several times but he wasn't having it. He was screaming like someone was trying to murder him. It was awful. Once I took him out of the crib and let him play, he was fairly content. But he was tired. He kept rubbing his eyes and yawning; he just wouldn't sleep.

Finally around 7:30 I put him in his infant carrier and he fell asleep within one minute. Literally. But of course I didn't strap him in and 20 minutes later he tried to roll over and that turned disastrous. Didn't stop me from laughing though. He was so confused as to why he was on the floor with his carseat on top of him. Makes me laugh just remembering the look on his face.

I brought him into bed with me and after a little while he actually laid down and fell asleep. That never happens. Chris got home around 9:30 and Carter stayed asleep for another hour. Me? Not so much. He had me all the way on the edge of my side of the bed so I couldn't fall asleep. Cosleeping is soooo not for me.

I tried to move him more toward the middle but that woke him up. He sat right up and started talking and smiling and climbing on Chris. It was bizarre.

Chris took him to his crib and after just a few minutes he fell asleep. Thank god! Slept until 7:00 this morning when I nursed him and he played with us for a little while (Chris is home today with him because our sitter's out of town this week). Around 8:00 he was looking like he really needed to go back to sleep and thus began a repeat of yesterday. Screaming, standing, more screaming, standing, screaming, sweating, screaming. Ugh.

Finally I got him calmed down enough by rocking and singing and offering his binky to where he was having trouble keeping his eyes open. I put him in his crib and rubbed his back for a minute, which kept him on his belly. Then he sat up and started playing with the fish so I snuck out of there. I figured if he was playing and quiet, life was good. By the time I left for a work 10 minutes later, he was asleep.

I hope Chris has an easier time today than I did yesterday.

Thanks MomMom

Thanks to my mother, Carter has been pooping ALL DAY LONG. Every time I called her she was feeding him something. I think he went through more Cheerios and puffs than he's ever had.

But he loved being with her and she loved being with him so I'll live with the four poop diapers I've already changed today.

He's a Rock Star

Chris had a procedure done this morning on his back. He had it done a few years ago but wound up needing surgery anyway a few months before our wedding. This time, he hurt himself at the company picnic kicking ass in Tug of War. He's been in pain for a few months so he was glad to finally be having it taken care of.

All went well and he's on his way home. He's such a rock star.

Ack!

Social anxiety rears its ugly head once again.

I just got off the phone with Girl. I've never talked to her before, and I was nervous making the call but our friend was hurt and I wanted to know if she had any info.

It started off well but when the sharing of information part was over I found myself talking way too loud and saying really awkward things. Like, "you have a really sweet voice." Gah, did I really say that?? I'm such a nerd.

And then I rushed her off the phone.

Dorkus majorus here, folks.

Carter's staycation

Carter's sitter is on vacation this week so he's hanging out with his MomMom today and tomorrow. I'm sure he's getting spoiled like crazy. Lots of kisses and smiles and cuddles. He's a lucky kid.
Here's some pics of him at daycare so he can remember his friends this week. That little girl is his girlfriend Ashwini. She's about 17 months and just getting her first teeth. She loves my Crocs. She always comes up to me and sticks her fingers in the holes.

The little boy is J.K. He's the biter. But he loves Carter so much. He's always touching his arm and hugging him. Shaista keeps an eye on him to make sure he doesn't love him TOO much, though.

Tart!

Good weekend

We had a good weekend. We started the day Saturday at the farmers market where we got some enormous peaches and yummy plums. Then we went out to breakfast where Carter begged for food. And by "begged" I mean screamed like a maniac until I gave him some pieces of my bagel.

In the afternoon we went to the Rally for Ally, which is a fundraiser held every year for my friend's niece who was born with a form of Ectodermal Dysplasias. Carter loved being outside. And best of all, he had his first taste of watermelon. Can't you just hear him saying "Mmmm"?

Oh, and check out his new kicks. His sitter asked me to get him some shoes so she can take him out on her deck and he can "walk" around. He doesn't even try to pull them off which was surprising to me. Every other time I've put him in shoes they didn't stay on for long. They're much more fun to chew on than to look at apparently.

Later in the afternoon we headed out to Phil and Laura's to hang out. We hadn't seen them in a while and I was dying to see Carley and Clayton. They did not disappoint. Carley was just chatting away and so sweet with Carter. She sang him the ABCs about 8,000 times, which of course he loved. It's his favorite song!

I expected him to be terrible because he slept all of 45 minutes ALL DAY yesterday. He wouldn't nap. Refused. He'd get crabby for a little bit but then get over it and be sweet again. He was enthralled with the cat. I missed him crabbing a chunk out of him. Of course the second we got in the car he was asleep. Like, within a mile of their house.

Here's a pic of Carter and Clayton. Clayton is 3.5 months younger than Carter. They're both wearing 9 month pj's. He's a bit of a chunk. I love it.

Today we got up around 8ish and played for a little bit. Carter wanted a nap around 10 so I put him down and laid down also. Next thing I know it's 2 hours later and Chris and I are both waking up, with Carter to follow a few minutes later. Gotta love Sundays.

We went out to lunch, got some groceries, and put him down for another nap. I went out while he was sleeping to get my hairs cut. Dude, the Hair Cuttery by my house blows. If that stupid Vietnamese lady told me one more time how thin and limp my hair is, I may have punched her. And then she proceeded to give me maybe the worst haircut I've ever had.

Carter had been sleeping for two hours so I woke him up (I needed to get him back on a schedule after yesterday's sleeping debacle). He was sleeping so hard I felt bad about waking him. He was confused for a second about what was going on. It was cute. Until he started scrunching up his face and making bad noises. But he got over that quickly and had a good time hanging out with Mommy and Daddy until bedtime.

Oh, and Carter finally discovered his penis tonight.

Ghetto Week

This week has been Ghetto Week in the Anderson house. Monday, I made chicken breasts baked with cream of mushroom soup, served with buttered noodles and frozen green beans. Tuesday was chicken breasts baked with cream of chicken soup and spinach, topped with stuffing. Last night was the worst. Boxed macs and cheese with tuna. Ghetto-tastic.

I'm the worst wife ever.

For Aunt Holly

Motivation

Motivation. It's a powerful thing.



(The carseat is sitting there because I need to take it to the consignment shop to sell.)

And then there were three...

Carter's top left tooth poked through yesterday morning. He's so laid back...I had no idea he was teething. He tried Cheerios yesterday for the first time and, like almost every kid I've ever met, he loves them. If we let him, he'd take a whole handful at a time and shove them in his mouth.