Carter :: Monthly Achievements

Whoa! ELEVEN months. In some ways it feels like yesterday he was born but in most ways it feels like he’s always been here. He is still the sweetest little boy, he does get a tiny mad when his brother is bugging him but he’s also learned how to work the system. He knows Grayson gets in trouble for hurting him so sometimes Grayson just goes to hug him and he screams out! Haha it’s amazing how smart babies are.

Can we talk about how it is going to be his FIRST Christmas in a couple of weeks?! I really do believe that I am more excited now that I have kids than when I was younger. I am so so excited for this year! And just look at those little Christmas leggings he’s wearing! The picture this month part cracks me up part embarrasses me. He looks like alfalfa or something. This month it was almost impossible to get this picture without anyone’s help, Grayson tries but he actually makes it more work for me! So little puffs was my answer to try to get him to sit for a least four seconds to snap something. But really it just looks like he has hillbilly teeth! And his hair, gosh what happened to it? I swear I did it. But hey, I have to take what I can get these days.

This boy is sooo attached to his blankets, I’ve mixed a few this time so he’s not exactly attached to one in particular but whichever one he is using. (I use the Aiden & Anais brand) He will go into his room and pull it down from his bed and lay on it, or even pull down my diaper bag from the couch because I always have one in there too. It still cracks me up every time he does it. Grayson was/is attached to one but it was later on that it started. He is always pulling himself up on everything and will walk the couch, and he will stand there without holding on. But no steps yet. He has started to become pickier with food, he will still eat anything I make or buy in those pouches. But used to love avocado pieces and now won’t have anything to do with them. He loves carrots pureed but just steaming them he doesn’t eat them. I am not giving up, I am still hoping that this one will like vegetables unlike the big. He has really started joining in on our dance parties, when Grayson first turns on a song; that booty is movin. He’s also increasingly aware of his little wee wee, in the bath he bends all the way forward just so he can get a peak at it. And grabs it any time I change his diaper! Boys.

Oh my goodness I had to come back in and edit this post because I forgot one of my favorite things about this month. He has started a new smile, first it was the scrunchy nose and now he has added squinty eyes. I WILL get a picture of it soon. I just have to. It’s the funniest, cutest little smile.I love you so Carter Joseph.

Carter :: monthly achievements

We are sooo close to a year old that I can hardly stand it! His personality is such a funny one and he scares me a little for the toddler years. He is a troublemaker much more than his big brother was at this age, I promise you I don’t think I have ever dug anything from Grayson’s choppers and I do it with Carter all.day.long. He does know what “no” means already and is good at listening to me so far. My little mischievous boy. He has not lost that happy spirit of his (unless we are shopping) the boy does not like it. We just walk into a store and he starts up with the whining. It drives me nutso. He better get used to it though because it feels like I am always in one store or another. For a long time now he has slept holding his feet, it’s the cutest thing. I should see if I can find a picture of it. I love watching my babies sleep. He is pulling himself up all the time, but doesn’t seem close to actually walking. He has starting taking steps if I am holding his hands or he uses the little walker, but nothing on his own at all. He is obsessed with the fridge! Even if he is on the other side of the room and I open it, he races over to try to get to it in time before it’s closes again. Makes me laugh. He loves bath time, but despises getting dressed afterwards. He is such a joy and I cannot imagine life without him.

On a more serious note, I know that mom guilt is a real thing and that more than likely we’ve all felt it. Right now it is going strong with this one. When I think about Grayson at this age, I did not work. I of course had photography but it was super slow at that time. Now with Carter, I work three days a week plus photography has been overwhelmingly busy for the last six months or so annd another sibling. I feel guilty that he doesn’t get enough hugs from his momma, or enough snuggles and almost no one-on-one time with me. Grayson and I have always, always gone on dates together. Carter and I have probably been on two. He is such a good baby that when he is awake he just plays and follows Grayson around, so I race to get as much work or house chores done that I can. This is a viscous cycle that is my everyday life. I know that I am not the only one who feels like this, and am not trying to throw a pity party. It’s just how I am feeling and writing about it somehow helps, and if anyone else is going through this season just know you are not alone. I love my boys so so much it hurts, I just don’t want to look back and worry that I didn’t spend enough quality time with them. I’m praying I am can be more intentional in my time with each of the boys in my family.

This must be when he first started sleeping like this because I have three pictures all within a week!

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Carter :: Monthly Achievements and nine month photos

Say it ain’t so, just say it ain’t so. NINE months now, I’m in denial. Mainly because his birthday is in three months and I haven’t even started planning his party! I have a general idea of what I am doing but that’s it. Very unlike me.

Nine months is a big one I think. Their personalities shine, and they learn to do something new almost everyday it seems like. He is now mobile, that is probably our biggest milestone. I totally get why they call it the army crawl, he really looks like a wounded soldier making his way around the house. He gets up on all fours all of the time but does not actually crawl that way. He has a famous yoga pose, and goes from tummy to sitting in three seconds flat. He has the cutest little wave and loves to clap his hands. He is still just the happiest guy around, and sometimes I squeeze him so hard I am scared I am going to hurt him. He had his first flight, first flight as in flying off the top of a bed. Traumatic for me because I saw the entire thing in slow motion. Thankfully all he got from it was a bump on the head because when I play it over in my mind, so much worse happens. He seems to love to be outside just like Grayson does. He’s pulled himself up to standing a couple of times, and still loves everything I feed him.

I had to take his pictures a couple different times. He was being difficult. Plus I normally have another mom their helping wrangle their kids and this time it was mine. Scott tried helped. But he gets frustrated that I take too long so it makes me more flustered than anything. Buut, I am a determined cookie so I kept going. I always keep going until I get what I want. I seriously think I ended up narrowing down to like 50 which is OUT OF CONTROL. So I tried to do some collages to spare you some scrolling but there is still just way to many. Feel free to stop whenever you’d like.

I put on this outfit because it’s what Grayson wore in his nine month pictures (you can see the difference in the boys if you want, here) What do you think? They seem like two way different babies to me but you tell me.

The picture on the right is his excited squeal. The one and only I got during that mini session.

Then it only got better after his nap and milk. Second one down on the right, his little lips and nose (heart eyes). The first horizontal on the left, I can’t figure out if that is him getting mad or trying to be Hulk. He squeezes whatever he’s holding and makes that face, I am just so glad I was able to get it. I love every single one of these.

This is him waving “hi” and he has another specific wave for “bye-bye”. The cutest.

All of these next ones are day two, he was definitely a happier camper this day. These first two are probably my favorites of all of his pictures this time, truly shows his personality. So so happy, and funny with the little scrunchy nose. I forget if this was Scott or Grayson, but someone was making him smile so big.

Ahhh nine months. My heart could burst. I put this quote on my Instagram for him and it is so true. “I swear I couldn’t love you more than I do right now, and yet I know I will tomorrow.” – Lee Christopher

He makes life so much better.

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Carter :: Monthly Achievements

He is on the downward slide to being a year old, so sad how fast it goes but so happy he is in our lives. He truly has made life better, more than I ever imagined.

He is always smiling and content (unless, teething) he sleeps so good and naps like a champ (unless, I have no idea why but we are with the in-laws!) Can’t figure that one out just yet but otherwise he beats Grayson on the sleeping by a long shot. It might also be that I am a better sleep trainer this time around, now that I have a better idea of what I am doing. He has really started to work his way around a room, not crawling yet but he does this thing where he is up on his hands and knees and then kind of lunges forward! It’s so funny. Then there are other times that he does move the knees and hands at the same time and craws a bit, but the lunging is definitely more often. He has elastic hands that must have glue on the paws because that boy can reach and grab everything and anything. So far there hasn’t been anything he doesn’t like to eat, I’ve even been giving him pieces of real food. Stuff that he is already eating in baby form, and a couple new things.. Banana, avocado, cheese, eggs and I even gave him a tiny bite of chicken. I love watching him experiment with new foods that he can grab, the look on his face while examining it just makes me smile. I keep forgetting to record it.

He started off as my moose but now I mostly call him my baby bear. That is about it for this month, it’s funny because they do change a little bit every day. I know that some people don’t love the baby stage, but I do. Experiencing new things with them is my absolute favorite, even the second time around. He still adores Grayson. He lights up when he sees him, and if they’re sitting there together he will (again) lunge forward with wide open arms and tackle him. It’s hilarious.

And then there is this picture. It is nearly impossible these day to get that “perfect picture” that I have in my head, but slowly I am learning to embrace the imperfection of their perfection regardless of the idea in my head. I look at this and I promise my heart literally feels like it’s about to explode with love for them, and their daddy.

I had to share these last two because it’s his personality for sure. The left with his curled toes and shining eyes, and the right with the feisty side and mid-squeal. And the tan lines on his ankles, heart eyes. We spend so much time outside, he’s got great coloring. Happy eight months my boy, you are my sunshine.

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Carter :: Monthly Achievements

Say it isn’t so, just say it isn’t so. SEVEN months today. To be on the other side of six months is just insane to me. I swear I was just evicting him from his cozy spot in my womb. I was just telling my girlfriend the other day that I haven’t even started planning his birthday party yet! Soon though, very soon party planning will be in full effect. Okay back to this month, geez. That scrunchy nose, all day every day. Along with the kicking feet, they’re kind of his thing.

This is such a fun time, and their personalities really start to show. I will tell you he is an easy going little guy, although somewhat impatient I am learning. Especially when it comes to his food! He loves food, and I love to feed him. I still make all of his food which I really like. I need to come up with some new concoctions though because I feel bad it’s the same thing over and over. He is also a baby that has the “witching hour” it’s not always exactly the same but between about 4:30 and 6:00 sometimes he is crabby. I should rephrase, if I held him and played with him he would be fine. But that can’t happen constantly so he will get fussy about it. He started sitting up about two weeks ago but would fall over a lot, in the last five days or so he is pretty consistent about staying up. Which is what I’ve been waiting for, they just seem so much more aware of the world around them when they can sit up and can interact so much more. I love it. He loves baths, and with him sitting up now I love them too. Makes life so much easier. He started sleeping through the night right after the six month mark and I stopped nursing him. I started him on formula and just let him figure out at night that I was going to feed him and voila, all night. It’s glorious. He is sooooo ticklish, but sometimes he gets mad when he’s tickled. So funny. I am so thankful for him and his big brother is still just as obsessed with him as the first day we brought him home.

There is that little signature scrunchy nose he has. That is his daddy’s favorite thing.

He is also finding his scream, as you can tell in the picture above with Grayson and this one below. Thankfully it is a happy scream (although I have heard the mad one a couple of times, and I am not a fan) It is just a joy to be his momma.

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Carter :: Monthly Achievements

Here we are again, another month older and more and more in love. I feel so blessed by this boy, so far he has been the best baby. If he slept longer at night there wouldn’t be absolutely anything to complain about. He smiles at everybody, tolerates Grayson well and lets me kiss him hundreds of times a day. He’s the perfect piece to our Williams’ puzzle.

I didn’t realize the block had turned to four months on this first one darn it, but I love it so I had to include it anyway.

Carter :: Monthly Achievements

How in the world is my boy already two months old?! The last eight weeks feel like a blur. I made the mistake of only taking a two week maternity leave (so dumb right?) I am working from home so I thought it would be no big deal, boy was I wrong! It’s much harder to work from home, but it is a sacrifice I’m willing to make to be able to stay home with my loves. But enough about me, let’s chat for a quick minute about my sweet Carter. I thought Grayson was a good newborn, Carter has such a sweet temperament he’s giving Grayson a run for his money. So far, the only time he cries if he’s tired and of course hungry.. or he doesn’t want to nap of course. He is so smiley, and looks right into your eyes when you say his name. Loves to make those baby sounds and kick those feet everywhere. If this is any indication on what type of boy he will be, this momma is very happy.Here are a few more that I just had to share..

Since I missed a post for his one month I will just add his picture here, he already looks so different! Seeing these pictures on here tells me I definitely need to start taking these with my big camera, the phone quality/color is pretty bad. Thanks for reading!