Happy Boy

9 months

Karter was 9 months old on April 21st. He weighs 25 pounds and 30 inches - about 95th percentile for both height and weight. I can't believe how fast the months flew by and how big he has gotten. Here are a few things Karter LOVES :

• To EAT
• The fresh air and to be outdoors
• People - especially his mama
• All animals but Lionel is his favorite
• Dad's bizarre humor
• To go out to eat
• To bang on everything - not only his drum Pappou gave him
• To shake his maracas
• Early morning bonding sessions with Grandpa
• To sing and yell - make lots of noise
• His bedtime bath
• Elmo
• Being tickled
• The ABCs and The Wheels on the Bus songs (Craig and I HATE them)
• His Bubby
• Laughing
• His Taggie or as Grandpa calls it baby blue
• Playing with his toys
• Nana's kisses (kind of)
• Taking toys from other kids
  
  

He isn't crawling yet - He can get where he needs by doing the worm and downward dog while throwing himself face first into the floor. He just started to hold on to the crib and furniture to stand (can't pull up yet). With support he can take some steps. No sign of any teeth but that doesn't stop him from eating!!! He wants to pick everything up and feed himself... He has some separation anxiety mostly from mom. If I'm not around he is fine.

Karter and I have been having a blast together. We're always on the go - either at Gymboree, on a hike, at the dog park, at family or friends, shopping... The other day Karter and I went to NYC together and went to the Zoo at Central Park with a few friends. He loved the polar bears, monkeys and penguins!! We even went to a St Paddy's day celebration at the bar! Life doesn't stop when you have a baby it just gets better. We are a HAPPY family.

Loving

Can you guess how many rolls??

Fun at Grandpa and Nana

Loves to be naked

Swinging on the tree at Grandpa and Nana's house

Karter and his 2nd Cousins

Karter got to spend the day with his 2nd cousins Julia and Noah. Julia gave Karter his first chip but without any teeth it was difficult to eat so she decided to feed him his baby food and did the best job ever!!! Karter got is first rock tee's - Talking Heads and Stevie Wonderful - thanks Cousin Jodi!

Brothers

8 months

At 8 months old Karter is a very social baby. He LOVES going out to eat and being in public. When he first meets someone he doesn't recognize he stares them down for a bit then warms up and gives a big smile. Lionel is his BFF and he adores animals. I taught him how to him Lionel a treat so now Lionel is Karter's good friend.

He is able to get on all fours and rocks back and forth but isn't crawling yet. He still doesn't have any teeth. He weighs 24 pounds and has grown out of his infant car seat. I just got the best carrier - It's called the Ergo and I recommend it to every mom/dad. It's so comfortable for both Karter and I.

Spinach

FL - The Beach and Pool

Family Trip to Florida

New Milestones

On Thurs Feb 5th Karter picked up his first Gerber Graduate Puff (cheerio size) and fed himself.

Around Jan 24 I stopped breastfeeding - BTW my boobs shrunk a whole cup size .... anyone know if this is the norm because i miss my boobs. Around the same time we started sleep training again. I knew exactly how much food he was getting during the day. I started him on stage 2 food for breakfast, lunch and dinner along with 4 - 8oz bottles. He is still on soy formula - I tried some yogurt and he became very gassy and constipated. His habit of waking during the night to feed was created by me because he would wake up and I would go in a feed him. It took a couple of nights of listening to him cry before he started to sleep through the night. He now sleeps from about 8:30 until 7:00 ish.

Even Bigger Baby Boy Karter - 6 months!!

We had Karter's 6 month check up today and he's as healthy as can be! He weighs 21 pounds and is 28 inches long. Again in the 90 - 95th percentile.

The past 6 months have been been a roller coaster of emotions. No one can ever prepare you for a baby - the raging hormones, lack of sleep, overwhelming feeling of love, learning how to trust your instincts... Looking back I saw a different side of me. Being a mother is so different than anything else I have experienced in my 30 years. I have a new appreciation for all mothers - especially mine. I learned patience, how to ask for help, how to care for a baby who is so dependant on me and to give 100% of myself not because that is what is expected of me, but because it comes so naturally. It was certainly difficult at times and I cried while he was crying but you get through it all and it's the best thing that ever happened to me. I LOVE being Karter's mom. He makes me so happy - more and more each day.

A few things I learned along the way...

• I got too hung up on a getting him into routine too early.


• I read too many books and I drove myself somewhat nuts.


• Go with your gut and talk to your pediatrician.


• The one thing I didn't realize at first is how much sleep babies need. The better they nap during the day the better they sleep at night.

Holidays 2

Christmas and Hanukkah 2008

We went to the Lavaia's this year for Christmas eve. It was the first year at Bonnie's since Frank passed away. We missed him very much and it wasn't the same without him. Stace and her friend Sam joined us for the first time. Hopefully Stace can join us every Christmas eve and make it a new tradition. Christmas day was at our house for the first time. We had 15 people over for dinner. Craig cooked a fantastic meal - lamb and ham with a ton of different sauces. Everyone contributed and everything turned out perfect for Karter's first holiday! For Hanukkah we lit the menorah everynight and Karter got his first dradle.