Real Life Roberts

Still waiting for a good school picture ...

2010-11-03T06:45:00.000-07:00

This is Carson's class on Pumpkin Patch day. Possibly a new low -- haha.

Oh and since it's been sooooo long since I've posted, you may not know which one he is (sorry). He's the second from the left.

Late Night

2010-08-31T10:23:00.000-07:00

Here's how Daniel found Carson the other morning when he went to wake him up.

Looks like someone was up all night playing with his toys :)

Carson can count to "yea"

2010-08-13T21:42:00.000-07:00

Carson loves to count -- he's really into spotting numbers and identifying them. It's not that we're amazing parents and sit him down with flash cards or anything. It's just something that he's picked up on and likes to practice doing ... also, counting provides an instant distraction from times of moodiness. The really cute part is when he counts in spanish - yes, he's a bilingual genius (that's what I've been hinting around at). So today in the car, he counted to 10 (or should I say diez) a couple of times (with help) and it sounds something like this:
Daddy: uno
Carson: dos
Daddy: tres
Carson:
Daddy: cuatro?
Carson: cato cinco
Daddy: seis
Carson: setay ocho nuve diez YEA!

He ended each time that way and we're wondering if he thinks "yea" is a number.

The Beach

2010-07-17T19:55:00.001-07:00

We spent the 4th of July w/ my family in Corpus Christi -- so fun!!!! It was Carson's first trip to the beach and he had a blast. I'm pretty it's mostly beach vacays for the Roberts from here on out.

Family Portraits

2010-07-01T12:32:00.000-07:00

My college roommate, Holly, (honestly THE BEST professional photographer I know) did a session for us this Spring. Click here to be taken to the proofs. If you press "play" you can quickly breeze through them!!!

Oh and I feel like I should add: taking portraits of an 18mo. old is nearly impossible. There was nothing cooperative about Carson's demeanor during the shoot. So, that Holly could even catch him in the frame, shows her skill. This also explains why almost all of our "family" shots have C on Dan's shoulders.

If only time would stand still

2010-06-03T20:33:00.000-07:00

moments like this make my heart stop. i could squeeze him all day long.

Bye Bye Paci - Day Two

2010-05-31T10:32:00.000-07:00

So, um, mission aborted!

Holy Cow - Carson loves his paci. He wasn't just mad, he was freaking out. We've never seen him express that kind of behavior before. Just to clarify -- he only gets his paci in his crib, so all this happens during bed/naptime. But we now realize we need to find a way for him to get some closure -- and our next attempt won't happen during an already busy weekend (I painted the living room and we were stressed out enough w/o a screaming baby).

Bye Bye Paci - Day One

2010-05-30T20:54:00.000-07:00

Tonight we wean C off his paci. I feel pretty gutsy writing about this, because now if we don't follow through, you'll think that we're weak parents and stink at child-rearing ... won't you?

Any who, he cried for only about 20 mins before falling asleep ... for an hour and a half. Then he was up again, this time screaming like we've never quite heard before (maybe b/c there was no paci corking his mouth). So now he's been up for an hour -- we just finished watching Kung Fu Panda and he's calm. He'll probably sleep up w/ us tonight.

Night Night.

Mother's Day at Kemah

2010-05-12T19:07:00.000-07:00

On a whim, my grandparents texted us last week to see if we'd want to meet them in Kemah for Mother's Day. It was a long shot as we aren't so much the spontaneous types. But lucky for me, Dan was at a loss as to how to make the day special, so he was up for the trip ... And the day was very special! As always, we neglected to take pictures of pretty much everything other than Carson, but here's how the day went for him:

A little sheepish at first. He's not used to big crowds of people who don't know him, so it took a while to get comfortable

His first carousal ride. (We also went on a train, but no documentation.)

This was easily the highlight

After getting squirted in the face, Carson wanted his Bee-ba to go in with him.

What we've been laughing at lately

2010-05-10T07:12:00.001-07:00

You'll have to click on the picture to make it bigger - and it's worth it.
How does a photographer manage to terrify/confuse 6 toddlers, and make 1 laugh?
On a Roberts' family note: we can now identify this as Carson's "what the what?" face. He looked like this for 10 straight minutes on his first train ride at Keemah yesterday. --- awesome!

A Confession

2010-05-07T11:31:00.000-07:00

"How's Carson doing?"

My most common responses of late: such a pill ... wit's end ... obstinate ... frustrated ... fire station (as in leave him there)

Yes, my son has reached his "terrible 1 and a halfs" and being primary care provider to this guy has been downright exhausting. True there are good days and bad days, but by the end of the bad days, I can hardly stand up.

My nearest and dearest have only heard lately of these predicaments I face, and have truly responded w/ grace and encouragement. However, they fail to realize I'm looking for a solution -- not endurance.

So I'm driving the other day complaining to myself ... and God (because I believe He's listening) ... but mostly to myself. Like my close friends, I've found that God generally encourages me in the "endurance" area, and I've already tried to explain that I'm a quick-fix kind of gal.

So with this hardened heart, a Word still breaks through and I'm reminded "to not be surprised by the trials you face as though something strange were happening to you." (1 Peter 4:12). I'm not trying to take anything out of context and realize this message was originally written to those who are suffering for the sake of Christ and I'm merely subject to the wrath of a toddler. However, (and here's my point) I guess I've realized this week to not freak out when being a mom gets hard. This isn't strange, and it shouldn't surprise me. And I suppose that if I will endure, and stop threatening to take him to Kyle Field and let him work with Daddy for the day, then there might be a little refining in it for me.

I also have to extend my deepest gratitude toward the women in my life who listen to me rant and don't roll their eyes as I dramatize my most recent problems. In fact, Pam, Donna, and Barbara, Lisa, Debbie, Mommy -- you've been so faithful to me, I must name you! Oh and I'd be remiss to not mention my husband who doesn't benefit from any efforts on my part to hide my frustration or even exercise civility on those previously mentioned bad days.

Escape attempt #1

2010-05-04T17:17:00.000-07:00

This morning I woke up w/ 45 minutes to spare (meaning, C wasn't due to get up until then). These are the precious moments I use to shower, fix my hair, make lunches, and mentally collect the sanity needed for my day. Well 5 minutes into this self-proclaimed "me time" I hear the little guy crying.
"Well, he's just going to have to wait 20 mins b/c today is not going to be a pony-tail day." I told myself.
So my morning soundtrack was Carson crying/whimpering every so often. Then, the whimpering turned into all-out screaming.
"That's fear/panic." This mom knows her son's screams ... perhaps I am a little too well acquainted with them.
I rush into his room, and Carson is hanging over the front rail of his crib. His weight is perfectly balanced, and he's stuck! Head and arms on one side, butt and feet on the other. His paci on the ground under his head. At the moment, I was horrified, running to hold and comfort him, but all he wanted was his paci, and once it was back in his mouth the screaming stopped.
Since then, the picture in my head has only prompted laughter. And for your viewing pleasure, I've attempted to recreate the scene.

Oh and for those of you who are wondering, (which I presume is everyone) today was an excellent hair day.

What happens when you go to church hungry...

2010-01-23T19:18:00.000-08:00

We have a Saturday night church service where we serve refreshments and one of the most popular items on the "menu" are these cheese balls we get from Sam's. They're like cheetos only with even less recognizable ingredients - but man are they good -- like the kind of good where you can't stop eating them ... so as I was not-stopping-eating them I thought...

"If I got to choose how I would die, I think it would be eating these to death ... or maybe donuts --- boy do I love donuts! Wouldn't it be awesome if we knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow and so we could just spend today eating anything and as much of everything we ever wanted."

Did I mention that I was at church thinking these thoughts? yikes! so then I figured I should start thinking about evangelism and stuff and how if I knew that Jesus was coming back tomorrow I should share the Gospel with everyone I could find ... but maybe do so w/ a donut in hand???

Ug! WHAT IS MY DEAL?

2010-01-22T13:14:00.001-08:00

Okay, pals, I don't know why I haven't been much into blogging the past couple of months -- its not that our lives aren't totally entertaining and important and worth writing/reading about. I've just found myself pretty apathetic toward the ol' blogger lately. I've even considered quitting my blog or at least taking a sabbatical of sorts, but today I opened this guy up, read a few posts and remembered how hilarious I am and that I should stop withholding this gift from my readers -- so here's my attempt to get back into the swing of things (yeah, not that much of an effort I realize -- but still...) My goal is to have Christmas recapped by Valentine's Day - and then maybe be fully caught up by March or so -- and then who knows, maybe I'll start blogging about the future!

Carson at 15 months

2009-12-24T06:41:00.000-08:00

There's a little animal roaming our house these days, and I don't mean Wrigley .... and I also don't mean we have a pest-control problem. Carson is non-stop. He spends most of his time taking laps around the house -- going from one room to the other looking for treasures and good places to stash them.

He is really verbal -- constant dialogue and babble. His favorite words/phrases:
- Ball, or baaaaaaa-aaaaaall (if he's really excited)
- What's that?
- Bigyaball (means basketball)
- mama and dada (interestingly, he refers to both me and himself as "mama")
- various animals and their noises
- and a few names of people: Matt, Mamy (Miss Amy, his teacher), Nonna (Miss Donna our Children's Dir. at church)
- Veggie Tales (his version, at least)
- oh and "Bible" -- they taught him a song in KK

He is completely obsessed (and I'm not exaggerating) with balls. Every time he sees something round he shouts out, "BALL". Target is one of his favorite stores b/c of the big red balls outside -- he always tries to pick them up. He loves to throw balls (and actually has a really good arm). In fact when he throws his food across the dinner table, its sometimes hard to reprimand ... dan and I look at each other w/ raised eyebrows and whisper, "that was a good throw", and then try to tell him "no" without laughing.

His preferred methods of greeting others:
- high five
- kiss
- a good, old-fashioned head bump

Physically, He's really tall and skinny and those cheeks that I used to kiss for hours have disappeared :( His head is big and round (when he sees pictures of himself he says, "ball" ... or "mama" of course.)

His general disposition is awesome -- he's happy and playful about 99% of the time. The rest of the time is filled w/ short-lived tantrums that are breezy to snap him out of.

Oh and I should mention that he usually sleeps until 8:30 every morning. My friend Courtney put it best this week when she said, "I think he's the perfect son for you". What a gift from God Carson is every moment!

... and speaking of tantrum - gotta go.

The Christmas Card we never sent

2009-12-22T17:20:00.001-08:00

I don't know what to say: blogging and sending Christmas cards got dropped from the priority list this month. whah! (I suppose I should add "working out" to that as well.) What good is a New Year's Resolution if you're already doing everything you know you should -- save it 'til 2010 has been my motto this December!

Daniel's Love Language

2009-11-23T16:06:00.001-08:00

"Hey, babe. I've got a Running Back for you."
These were the words I heard upon answering my husband's phone call on Monday. I had been suffering from some weirdo allergies all weekend and was at the store picking up meds the Dr. had ordered, so you can imagine my surprise, because what I was expecting to hear was, "Hello, my darling. How are you feeling? Do you need anything?"
I was a little upset at first, but then realized we were once again caught speaking different languages. It's not that my husband is inconsiderate and oblivious to my needs -- I did, in fact, need a Running Back ... for my Fantasy Football team which has turned into the suckiest bunch of suckers that ever sucked (pardon my french). And Daniel truly had me on his heart as he was looking through our league's waivers and free agents.
So, I appreciated the gesture, though when it came down to it, I honestly couldn't have cared less about the RB (some guy named Rock and I don't even know what team he plays for, but at least I finally dumped Owen Daniels who is out for the season -- ug!) However, my man loves me in his own, blog-worthy way. And by the end of the phone conversation I was able to translate his call into more appropriate lovey-dovey talk in my head :)

why is he being so quiet?

2009-11-13T09:04:00.000-08:00

So God knew mommies couldn't keep an eye on their kiddos 24/7, so he programmed the rascals w/ an automatic "quiet" reflex when they're up to something. Thus, giving us mommies the clearest of warnings that it's time to go see what's happening in the other room. And so it went around 9am as I was getting ready to take him to the park. I tip-toed to the living room (mommies are master sneakers) expecting to find marker on the walls, the couches on fire, and C stripped down to his diaper, covered in war paint, riding Wrigley around the house. But no -- there was my darling, proving himself to be a son after his mother's own heart, standing at the coffee table, drinking what was left of my morning cup of joe!

Quick run through of my thoughts:
- hooray, nothings broken (oh and he's safe)
- hooray, my son likes coffee
- oh no, my baby is drinking coffee!
- he's getting really good at drinking from a cup
- I should blog about this!

Now as perfect in every way that my husband is, he doesn't like coffee (big strike, I know, but it wasn't a deal killer). So seeing this kind of promise in my 13mo old warms my heart - it really does. Maybe next time when it gets really quiet in the room next door, I'll walk in and find him folding laundry!

Carson's Class

2009-11-07T13:30:00.000-08:00

This is a picture from Pumpkin Patch Day of Carson's Kingdom Kids class. KK is basically Mother's Day Out, and C goes 2 days a week. His involvement has been such a blessing and we really love everything about it -- especially his teachers (Miss Elaine and Miss Amy). I'd say Carson's favorite part of the day is being dropped off b/c they feed him a snack right away :)
In other news, this picture cracks me up. I wonder what noise they were making to get all the kids to look up with those "what's that?" expressions!

More Fall Fun

2009-11-02T19:01:00.000-08:00

Sometimes the Mommy needs HER Mommy

2009-10-31T07:39:00.000-07:00

"Tell .. Daniel, ... 'I love him'"
That's how I felt last Sunday while battling a sudden wave of nausea and spending the afternoon (unsuccessfully) trying not to throw up. Who knows what it was, food poisoning, a virus, morning sickness ... okay - I promise it wasn't the last one :) but I know you guys read for ridiculous comments like that, so I didn't want to withhold. Anywho, thank you, thank you, Lord because my mom had already taken Monday off work so she could come hang out with Carson. And so she came - like Super Woman - to save the day!

It was better than going to a spa (even though I felt like I was dying - and yes, "Drama Queen" is my middle name). My mom spent her whole day doing the following:
chasing Carson around
cleaning up my house
chasing Carson around
going grocery shopping
chasing Carson around
cooking dinner -- which fed us literally all week
and chasing Carson around
(she may even have done some laundry -- but once again - I was dying so it was hard to keep track)

And apparently that was the best medicine, because I woke up Tuesday morning feeling 100%

Thanks, Mom. You're the best!

Up and Autumn

2009-10-26T06:24:00.000-07:00

I love the fall and we've been enjoying everything it has to offer this year! Country Fairs, Fall Festivals, costumes, and of course Pumpkin Patches. Here are some pics from our annual trip to the neighborhood pumpkin patch -- Carson was only mildly interested in them, but mostly enjoyed tasting the different varieties of ... grass. Seriously, it was hilarious -- everytime we turned around, he was sticking it in his mouth and then spitting it out. Boys are so weird.

And for even more fun, click here to compare to last year!

First Kiss

2009-10-20T10:30:00.000-07:00

Yesterday morning, Carson laid one on me - and my heart could burst! I'm a big kisser -- and cheeks like his practically beg for smooches. Sometimes I still think I'll kiss em right off. So yesterday I was going to town as usual. Then, he turn toward me, leaned in (mouth open, tongue out) and did his version of mommy's gesture of love. At the time it kind of triggered my gag reflex, because my cheek had been slimed and I didn't want to touch it with my hand (yes, for a mommy, I've got a sensitive stomach) so I had to get a paper towel to dry myself. But then, about 4 hours later at work, I realized -- HE KISSED ME! And now I revel in how sweet the exchange was. He can slime me whenever he wants!

mmmmmm California .... BEAUTIFUL!

2009-10-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Last week we were in Estes Park, CO with Daniel's family. Here are some pics from our trip:

Carson chasing ducks:

And my personal highlight: we went to the hotel where scenes from the must-see hit movie Dumb and Dumber were shot! Here we are "racing each other to the top"

Carson's Castle

2009-10-13T20:31:00.000-07:00

This was a birthday gift from my parents. We keep it on our back porch, so he can see it from the dining room. He throws a tantrum everytime I carry him by the windows and don't take him outside to play on it -- maybe we should put it around the corner.

Let Him Eat Cake

2009-09-30T19:47:00.000-07:00

I knew that today would be the day I posted pictures from C's party, but was so disappointed for your sakes when I scrolled through my camera and realized that I didn't really take any -- oopsie. It turns out when you're hosting your son's first birthday party, taking pictures is the last thing on your mind. Here are a few that my sis snapped during cake, but that's literally all I have.

You'll just have to take my word that it was great! The theme was "Rookie of the Year" so I made a bunch of basebally signs. We grilled hot dogs and enjoyed other ball-park snackies. My fam was there + Dan's parents and sister. Also, some of my wonderful extended family drove in as well. And finally, a few of our churchy friends dropped by too.

I really think Carson had a great day -- but more importantly, I did :) I am not in denial that this first party was totally for me ... why else bother, right?

Some people don't like to toot their own horns ... but I'm not one of them

2009-09-25T19:56:00.001-07:00

CHECK OUT THIS DIAPER CAKE I MADE FOR MY FRIEND, SHAY'S, BABY SHOWER LAST WEEKEND!

As a self-proclaimed non-creative type, I am so very proud to share my creation/accomplishment with the world (and by "world", I mean all 10 of you who read this).
All it took was 250 diapers, lots of pretty, pink ribbon and roses, and some MAD skillz! I'm so happy to finally have a "thing". Some girls cook well, some dress well, some have clean houses, some don't lock their babies in cars, and I make a cake you can't eat. So, take that!

PS. For those who were hoping to get some cutie pie, b-day pics, the celebrations aren't over yet, so I'll get 'em up next week.

Thank you, Come Again.

Birth of a tantrum

2009-09-20T18:52:00.001-07:00

Not to be confused with "Birth of a Smile"

I think I lost my "Mother of the Year" nom today

2009-09-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

Well if you drove by the Exxon at Harvey and Texas today around 2pm and saw the flashing lights and heard the sirens, that was me.

****Caution**** before proceeding: if you have a lot of respect for me and my intellect that you'd like to maintain, I suggest skipping the rest of this post.

As I was filling the car up, Carson was crying in the backseat. (Lately his car seat has been his nemesis -- and so, tantrums are the norm when we're on the go). In a rare stroke of genius, I thought, "let me give him my keys to play with so he won't mind waiting for 5 minutes while I'm pumping gas!" You can probably imagine where this is going... (do I need to mention that I closed the door behind me) So after 5 seconds I hear my horn honking and see Carson entertaining himself by pressing the buttons on my key chain.

And there I stood, helpless and humiliated, praying that God would make Carson press the unlock button -- but instead he threw the keys on the ground. Nice man two pumps down, lent me his phone to call Daniel at work -- who of course didn't answer -- there's another unanswered prayer. So I had to call the cops. Now, this wasn't an emergency -- it's an overcast day, and in the 70s. The only thing in danger was my pride, self-esteem, sense of worth, etc.

So I asked the police man on the phone (I didn't even call 911) if he could send someone to open my door. Then 30 seconds after hanging up, I hear sirens. "Please, God, don't let that be for me" -- 3rd unanswered prayer.

In turns the ambulance -- FOLLOWED BY THE FIRETRUCK!!! Out jump 6 men who have dedicated themselves to saving lives and protecting the public and now they have to unlock the car for this idiot lady -- at least the kid inside was cute (and totally entertained by the commotion). In about 4 minutes they were in, and left. They didn't even ask how it happened - there's that grace of God I had been waiting for!

Here I sit, in my house, vowing to never go outside again. Dreading the look on my husband's face when he gets home - wondering how he must really feel about today's affair and whether or not he'll take tomorrow off being afraid to leave Carson alone w/ me again. At least I know you guys, my faithful readers, won't judge me. I'm sure you've all done this a million times and its just part of motherhood - and eventually I won't be phased by these things unless they have to shut down an entire city block. For now, I'll just maintain a low profile, burn this outfit, dye my hair, and never go to that gas station again.

Life Light Up

2009-09-14T20:05:00.000-07:00

Friday night was our Women's Ministry Fall Kick-off at church -- and it was unarguably the biggest we've ever had! 700 gals came to our event featuring Christy Nockles (formerly Watermark). I got to be on the team of women coordinating this, and have to say the event pretty much went perfect! In fact, the only thing that didn't go according to plan (at least to my knowledge) was a silly accounting error I made -- which pretty much only affected me, costing an hour of my work day today :\

Anywho, what a night! It was exhausting, but always cool to be a part of such an awesome event.

Photobooth

2009-09-11T08:33:00.000-07:00

I found this collection of photos on our camera -- glad to see fun times with Daddy can happen at any moment.

"Happy September, where all things happen in the Roberts Family"

2009-09-07T09:04:00.000-07:00

This was in the message my bf, Allison, left me on my birthday. It's true that September's probably the ultimate month of celebration for the 3 of us! Friday was not only my birthday, but also our 5 YEAR ANNIVERSARY!!!

People are usually surprised to learn I got married on my birthday, and they always ask if I'm happy I did that. It's a funny question to me because I can't understand who wouldn't want to get married on their birthday? It's like making your special day 1000 times more special -- so yes, getting married on your birthday is awesome!

So what did we do to commemorate such a special occasion? -- Well, not so much special stuff really. Friday we both had to work -- hard. This is a very busy season for both of us. And then Friday night we went to a leadership conference at our church -- but we went with our "Grad Group" and you know how much I love those guys -- so we had dinner all together and then headed to the church where Ross King and Donna Stuart led worship and Ben Stuart gave an amazing talk. I wouldn't have spent that evening any other way.

Saturday morning Dan and I had brunch at Christopher's -- it was incredible -- everyone should go. And our friends Josh and Marni came to stay with us that night. I had the opportunity to mentor Marni for 3 years while she was at A&M and Josh interned at the church -- but now they live in Dallas and he's going to seminary. Catching up with my dear Marni was a huge gift - thanks, God!

Also, I should add that my parents swept our little guy off to Cypress for the weekend which was greatly appreciated. I do think he came back a little chunkier then he left, however ;) I know he had a blast -- not so sure if my parents are even out of bed yet today though.

We aren't done w/ the Sept celebrating yet: Wrigley turns 4 tomorrow, and of course Carson will be 1 in 3 weeks!

You know how I feel about long posts, and try to never do this to my readers, but it's my birthday post - so I can do what I want!

Meet The Grad Group

2009-09-02T21:14:00.000-07:00

These are the folks (or kiddos as I like to call them, so I feel like I'm in a position of authority) we've been hanging out with all summer. We do churchy things together and have lots of fun. This fall, we're going to expand our group to include many more fun peeps, but I wanted to give a special tribute the these guys who have become some of our favorite people in the whole wide world! Here's a breakdown of who they are:

Matt and Rachel were high school sweethearts who just got married in July. Matt's an Engineer Grad student and Rachel is in the PPA program.

Ian is actually the networking super-star. He knows everyone and kind of has his hands in everything. He's also an Engineering Grad student -- something with thermo-something

Emily - beauty and brains! She's a 5th year Chem Engineering major - and does triathlons in her spare time - an inspiration to me!

And then there's Mitch who is really really tall and just got engaged last weekend! He's a PhD in nuclear something or other.

Yes, all these folks are way smarter than us -- why they like to come over and hang out, we have no idea -- I just try to use a lot of big words and hope they make sense.

Baby Headgear

2009-08-30T21:42:00.000-07:00

Tonight we decided we're officially in the market. Now that C is a self-perceived expert mover and shaker, he's thrown caution to the wind and is hourly inflicting injury upon himself. Usually he ends up hitting his chin on things (the coffee table, the kitchen step, the bathtub) and bites his tongue. Honestly, in the past week we can count 5 times this has happened (4 involving blood). I'm not sure the whole Twilight craze has caught on w/ toddlers yet, so we're not all that excited about our little guy looking like a vampire. So for now (before all my favorite shirts are covered in Carson's "battle wounds") I'm trying to dream up the ultimate solution.

What do people without dogs do?

2009-08-27T13:06:00.000-07:00

As of late, Carson has taken his sass to a new level. He's decided to be picky about the nutritious food so graciously prepared and put before him, mostly refusing offerings from the vegetable group. But even once he's had his fill of various other epicurean delights he now takes his food in is hand, looks at his mother straight in the eyes, and drops his food on the ground. Should more tasty morsels find their way to his plate, he further drives his statement home by throwing the pieces to the ground. Lucky for us we have a living vacuum cleaner named Wrigley who usually catches the food before it hits the floor (he also occasionally catches a sippy cup on the head).
I suppose there's no real harm in this, as no food is really wasted, except the grave realization that Carson is learning that he technically doesn't have to do what mommy says. Ug - that will of his is not going to jive too well with this control-loving mommy.

I did manage to snap a few pictures during this morning's episode.

11 Months

2009-08-23T12:43:00.000-07:00

Wow! We are so close to a year, I can taste it!!! I'm going to order C's b-day cake this week, in fact. The little guy is as awesome as ever

Currently likes to sit in things too small for him
Able to get off the couch by himself
Relishes grocery store visits b/c he gets a balloon
Still not walking, but hopefully by his b-day
On a 3 meals-a-day schedule
Now wearing size 5 diapers

... oops, i realize I'm a day early on this post. oh well, it probably won't bother you guys as much as it does me.

Mommy Moments

2009-08-04T21:49:00.000-07:00

My new identity:
I wrote my name down today and spelt it,
"M-O-M-M-Y"
"AMBER" is so last year.

Words

2009-07-29T12:49:00.000-07:00

I've been refraining from blogging about this -- not knowing what constitutes a word or just a sound, but now I'm going on record:
Carson's first word is "uh oh"
He's been saying this for about 3 weeks - and if you've been lucky enough to hear it, you know how hilarious it sounds: he really growls, more than speaks the word. Now he'll sometimes say it in a normal tone too. He's also learned "ball" and we think he used both "mama" and "dada" in context yesterday.
I tell ya, the kid's some kind of prodigy!

*** oh and w/ this post my blog is officially up to date! I've got nothin else for now -- whew!

He's a Climber

2009-07-28T08:35:00.001-07:00

He was going for the puffs!

Bathtime with Daddy

2009-07-26T17:02:00.000-07:00

10 months

2009-07-25T13:22:00.000-07:00

Can give high fives
Able to communicate through pointing
Raises strong objections to diaper changes
Says "uh oh"
Obeys "no touch" most of the time
No more bottles - only drinks from sippys

4th of July

2009-07-23T12:51:00.000-07:00

So my catch up spree is going well - I am finally w/in one month of the present. The weekend of the 4th we went to Houston for a bit and Carson was royally spoiled by his Granny. I was pretty jealous by the Target bill when we went to get him "a few toys" thinking the whole time, "that could have bought me an entire fall wardrobe!!!" But I understand that baby must come first.
When we came back to CS, we celebrated w/ some Roberts' family friends: The McLeroys, The Purcells, and The Blaschkes. This is one of my favorite things about living here. These four families have been in each others' lives for 30+ years and through 3 generations. I wish I had pictures of the whole gang, but alas, just a few of Carson in a swing. We had a great time, though.

Showing off some of his new toys

Our little Viking

Swinging in the McLeroy's backyard

Ooops, I lied. Here's one of Matt, Jackson, Carson, and Daniel - two generations of best buds!

Carson the Conquistador

2009-07-23T07:52:00.001-07:00

He chased Wrigley right out of there. I guess men are naturally territorial.

Big Shoes To Fill

2009-07-22T07:35:00.001-07:00

Father's Day

2009-07-21T12:08:00.000-07:00

We had a blast celebrating Daniel's first Father's Day this year -- he got tons of cool presents: a photobook of pics of him and Carson, a big Cubs sign for his office, a book about monies, and an edger!!! i might have made him breakfast in bed, though i can't remember b/c it was a long time ago - no, wait - i did. on saturday we went to my grandparents in La Grange w/ the rest of my fam and had a great time.

All the boys! (My cousins Bradley, David, and Stephen w/ Carson)

The pool is always a Father's Day highlight

The BIG news

2009-07-21T08:49:00.001-07:00

I'm going to be an aunt! My sis is now 12 weeks pregnant which puts her due date at the end of January. I think I'm ultimately hoping for a nephew so Carson will have a playmate, but I'm sure it'll be fine either way.

These were taken on Father's Day when they told the extended family

There's a baby in there!

Catch up

2009-07-21T08:46:00.001-07:00

Clearly the ol' blog has taken a back seat to summer festivities as of late - which is awful since the purpose of it is to document these very things. So this week's free time is dedicated to catching you all up on what we've been doing this summer. Enjoy the daily updates :)

Mommy Moments

2009-07-09T11:26:00.000-07:00

Whenever Carson is on my lap, facing away from me, I put my nose to his head and just try to breath him in. I can't explain it - it's like I try to experience him with every sense I can. That moment never passes without me thanking God for such a blessing.

Mommy Moments (a new series - stay tuned for more)

2009-07-07T19:58:00.000-07:00

I looked down at my shirt today - and there was a booger on it

9 months

2009-06-24T22:53:00.000-07:00

Carson has now officially been "out" as long as he was "in". I remember when he was born thinking how I carried him for 9 months -- and that his 9 month "birthday" seemed so so far away. But here we are in the blink of an eye. And I tell ya, I can't afford much blinking these days because Carson is gone in an instant. When he's on the bed, he's making mad dashes for the edge of it. When he's on the ground, he's bee-lining for the nearest deadly object. I don't know how any kid lives to see their first birthday. Now that mine's mobile, I see the world as one giant death trap - waiting to devour my son. A special note to the Lord on this topic: thank you for your mercies and protection over my son. I know that it is by your grace alone that he avoids the life-threatening encounters presented to him throughout the day.

So we had our 9 month wellness today with Dr. Saenz and here's how it went
Length: 30 1/2 inches (95th percentile)
Weight: 21 lbs 8 oz (75th percentile)
Head Circumference: 46 1/2 cm (95th percentile)
He also had some blood work done which came back good and got a polio vaccination -- which reminds me of a very blog-worthy story, though it's not about Carson: When we were in college, Daniel told me that when he was little his dad told him that the strings on bananas would give him polio if he ate them -- so he meticulously picked off each string of every banana he ate until he was in like high school and realized his dad probably just made that up to mess with him. Why he never thought to verify that with his mom, or even ask his dad if he was serious, I'll never understand -- but I'm glad that he doesn't have to worry about de-stringing Carson's bananas for polio since they have shots for that now.

Okay, so long post -- let's get on with my little tradition

Claps his hands
Always stands to greet us in his crib each morning
Rarely sits still for more than 30 seconds
Signs for "more"
Opens and closes doors and drawers all day long
Napping twice a day pretty consistently

How Dreamy

2009-06-12T19:05:00.000-07:00

Click the picture to see our family photoshoot!

It happened

2009-06-10T14:18:00.001-07:00

I just put Carson down for a nap and could hear him in his room making his usual grunting sounds signifying that he was not asleep. So I peaked in and saw him STANDING UP in his crib. He pulled up using his bumper, and then grabbed the ledge. Eventually Carson saw me, flopped down on his bottom and started laughing and bouncing up and down. Number 1 on tonight's to-do list: lower the mattress.

Uncle David and Aunt Amanda

2009-06-02T08:41:00.000-07:00

We took our first road trip as a family (Wrigley included) this weekend to Longview, TX where we visited Daniel's brother, David, and his wife, Amanda. It was a jam packed weekend full of firsts for Carson and we all had a blast. Seriously, David and Amanda should think about opening a Travel Agency b/c they kept us entertained the entire time. Here's a quick summary of the trip:
- It took two hours to pack - who knew?
- Thank you, Lord, for our big car that fits our family, our dog, and a ton of other stuff
- We traveled at night after Carson was asleep (the trip took 4 hrs)
- We went to Louisiana - Carson's first time out of Texas
- Carson also took his first flight (Uncle David's a pilot)-- we'll have a whole separate post on this particular experience
- Carson went for his first swim in a real swimming pool (and kept trying to put his face underwater)

David and Amanda with their baby and ours

On the Boardwalk in Shreveport, LA

Mom, as you can see, I accidentally came home with the scarf you bought the other day. But don't worry, I'm making sure it gets good usage until I can return it :)

The Roberts take to the skies

2009-06-02T07:20:00.000-07:00

This was maybe the highlight of our trip. David went to LeTourneau University in Longview were he actually majored in ... Pilot. I'm sure there's a more official name for it, but I'm a simple woman who just learned what a "hangar" was this weekend (it's an enclosed structure to hold aircraft in protective storage. thank you, wikipedia) - so I'll spare my simple readers the official jargon - Rodger, Rodgers? So as he's looking for a job in the commercial airline industry, he flies privately for this guy who owns a 6-passenger plane (once again, I'm sure there are some numbers associated with the plane describing its engine size and what not, but remember - I'm keeping it simple for you readers) so back to the plane. David can apparently take it out for a spin when he wishes -- or we stole it for a joy ride -- I didn't bother to ask which one.

So here's David pulling the plane out of the HANGAR (word of the day, folks)

A quick photo-opp before take off

"Control, this is Cherokee 21418, we are ready for take off"

Okay, so now we're in the air -- here's where it gets a little tricky regarding Carson's state of consciousness

Our trusty pilot and co-pilot. By the way, David let Daniel control the plane for about 5 seconds until I kindly (trying to hide the panic in my voice) requested that Daniel hand the reigns back over

Annnnnnnnd he's out! I mean, REEEEEEALLY out!

I was mildly concerned that something might be wrong with the tyke, because I literally could not shake him, his breathing and heart rate remained normal (yes, I was casually trying to check his pulse) so I didn't get too worried, and then he started sucking on his lower lip which gave me assurance that my son would, in fact, wake up eventually, which he did once we landed and the engine turned off. I guess when you combine the hum of the engine, the change in air pressure, warm temperature, and floating sensation it took him right back to his happy place and he entered probably the deepest sleep of his life.
All in all, it was a really fun experience. The best part was seeing David in his element -- talking to air traffic control in his pilot language, showing us the sights of East Texas from the sky, doing smooth 15 degree turns, keeping us alive -- it was all great. I guess nothing makes you look up to your little brother like putting your family's life in his hands!

8 months

2009-05-24T10:48:00.000-07:00

Dan and I concur that we've seen more change and growth in Carson this month than any other so far. Our baby seems more like a boy each day!

Crawls with his tummy off the ground
Also scootches w/ his tummy on the ground
Rolls around in his sleep
Starting to pull up
Opens and closes the cabinet doors repeatedly
Never complies when you wipe his face

What Carson looks like this week

2009-05-17T10:21:00.000-07:00

I know I've just been posting a lot of pics lately - but I feel like everytime we snap a shot - it's too cute not to put on the blog :)

Blueberries

2009-05-13T09:09:00.000-07:00

"Thank you, Granny, for my new pool"

2009-05-06T08:44:00.001-07:00

Blast from the past

2009-05-05T06:59:00.000-07:00

A couple of weeks ago, one of my college roommates, Holly, came to visit with her youngest daughter Addie (10mo). Sadly Greta, her two yr old, didn't get to come. They live in Wisconsin - so we only see each other once a year. Carson and I had a great time with them -- and were so sad to see them leave. Holly's a professional photographer, so of course we got a Roberts family photo shoot in too -- I'll post those pics when Holly's finished touching them up (hide the pimple on Daniel's face, the drool on Carson's chin, and perhaps a tummy roll or two on mommy :)
I think one of the neatest parts of the whole trip was living with Holly in this new life phase. She's of course someone I normally associate with college (though by now, we've surely made just as many memories afterward), but as we push our babies in their highchairs around Blue Baker, in their strollers through Ben & Jerry's, and had to order freebirds to go b/c it was bedtime -- yes, all we did pretty much was eat -- it was a huge realization that we are grown up. I love being a grown up with my friends from college -- it makes me feel like I'm really going somewhere in life - and so are they. Anywho, this has been a long post, so here are some cutie pie pics of new friends:

A whole new way of communicating

2009-05-01T09:19:00.000-07:00

So yesterday I got to spend a couple of hours with Heather, my dear friend for the past ... oh gee 7 years? We worked side by side for many years and then were pregnant side by side for many months, and will now be mommies side by side for many years to come. I know this isn't news to any other mommies, but I'm still discovering so much - so it's big for me: After I got home I was thinking over our many conversation topics and realized we didn't really finish discussing ANY of them! In fact, I think most of our conversation went like this,

"Okay, what was I saying?"
"You were talking about ..."
"Oh yeah, well, let's see -- what was I going to say? [long pause]"
Then maybe one of us would come out of the dressing room -- we went shopping w/ the kiddos
"That looks great!"
"No it doesn't - I'm fat" (or something to that effect) "and besides, I can't afford it"
"Anyways, what was I saying?"
"Carson/Hallie it's okay -- do you want a toy?"
"You should totally buy that shirt"
"How does it make my arms look?"
"They look fine -- okay, what was I saying?"

And so it went for two hours. At least we both have little ones so we are in total understanding of the distractions and limited brain power we have which hinders conversation on any normal human level!

Carson and Hallie are great friends and love to go on rides together - these pics are back from Feb

Rockstar

2009-04-28T11:25:00.000-07:00

Carson loves instruments and music. Anytime he gets the chance to play, he has a blast. He spent several minutes strumming away on this guy.

7 Months

2009-04-24T18:58:00.000-07:00

Can find his paci and put it in his mouth
Always smiles back -- even at strangers
Reaches up when he wants to be picked up
Sucks on his thumbs and his toes
Oblivious to pain (seemingly)
Now has his bottom two teeth

Bath Time at Grandma and Grandpa's

2009-04-24T08:15:00.000-07:00

2009-04-10T20:21:00.000-07:00

What Carson doesn't know won't hurt him!

2009-04-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

Last week I asked Dr. Saenz how much we should be feeding Carson at this stage. He asked about his normal schedule and I confessed that we were still doing a middle-of-the night feeding, but we were trying to wean him off of it. Dr. Saenz simply replied, "well, try harder ... that ends tonight"

Aside: it probably sounds ridiculous that we were still getting up to feed him at this point, but we had just grown used to it - and it wasn't that big of a deal to us -- but I was glad for the freedom given by the Dr to stop that.

So anyways, since then - if Carson does wake up b/f 6am, we'll walk in there, give him a paci, and he's right back to bed. Then, we feed him his first bottle b/n 6&7. BUT HERE'S THE AWESOME PART: Carson is used to getting fed in the morning and then going back to bed for 3 more hours -- b/c usually it would have been 3am. So everyday for a whole week, we feed him around 7, then he sleeps until 10! It's awesome -- literally, Dan and I stayed in bed until 10 ourselves on Saturday. I don't know how long this will last, but we figure there's no harm in enjoying Carson's crazy little clock as long as we can!

And on that note, here are some of the cutest little pics of our guy napping the other day.

A new place to play

2009-04-05T10:55:00.000-07:00

Mommy friends, HELP! Carson is in this new "bored" phase. It seems like all the old entertainment tricks have worn out. He's quickly outgrowing his exersaucer -- what once would guarantee 30 mins of free time is now down to 5 ... 10 at most. Sitting on his blanket w/ his toys is no longer fun. Even the TV seems to have lost its hypnotizing effects. What he seems to want most is for me to stand him up and let him balance all day long. Sadly, this doesn't lend itself to any other means of productivity during the day. Does he need new toys? Does he need new environments? Or is this a get over it and get through it phase? Any advice would be welcome!

In the mean time - he enjoyed playing in his crib for about half an hour the other day -- a new place to play.

6 mo wellness visit

2009-04-02T15:21:00.000-07:00

We went to the Dr. today for more shots and another weigh in. Here ya go:
Height: 28 3/4in (off the charts)
Weight: 20lbs 4oz (90%)
Head Circ: 46cm (95%)

Carson Sleepy Pants

2009-04-01T16:19:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday we had lunch after church with a group of grad students who Dan and I are going to start meeting with in a "Sunday School format". Needless to say, we are really excited about these students and this opportunity, but more on that later. Since everything is about Carson these days, I'll have to put the necessary spin on this post.

Unfortunately the nursery was hopping on Sunday so our little, social man didn't take a nap -- this led to a very sleepy baby around lunch time (not a good combo w/ our plans) Luckily, Carson proves to be much more flexible than his mommy - and found the booth at Blue Baker to be the perfect place for his morning nap. We were cracking up and didn't want to move him when it was time to go. Of course Dan snapped a shot w/ his phone b/f we left.

he was like this for at least half and hour

What part of "No" don't you understand?

2009-04-01T06:45:00.001-07:00

Well, in Carson's case, apparently all parts! Right now his exersaucer is set up in the corner of the living room by the window -- and a few conveniently placed outlets. They are of course out of reach, but not covered. This morning he noticed them and was instantly compelled to touch them. There he stood, reaching for them, while I'm behind him saying, "Carson, no ... aaa (that's a sound I make that's hard to spell that Wrigley understands to mean "no" so I figure Carson should also) ... no touch." He knows his name (or at least we think he does) so he would turn around, give me a big smile, then turn back and reach for the outlets again.
So I've learned a couple things from this:
1. It's time to baby proof
2. My hopes that my son would instinctively understand obedience have gone unanswered
3. If it's dangerous, Carson wants it.

Flower Power

2009-03-25T21:27:00.000-07:00

Independence, TX

6 Months

2009-03-24T12:43:00.000-07:00

I can't believe Carson was born 6 months ago, today -- I can't decide if it seems like it's been a long-time or a short-time. Right now he's napping, so it seems short, but that'll probably change when he wakes up crying in 15 mins. Anywho, here are some great things about my little man:

Can flip light switches on and off
A neck is beginning to form b/n his shoulders and head
Refuses to hold his own bottle when he eats
Smiles at every person who smiles at him
Opts for bottle over sippy cup every time
Naps at regular intervals during the day

Tis So Sweet To Trust In Jesus

2009-03-23T17:40:00.000-07:00

Last month Daniel and I had the opportunity to stand before our church congregation (and families) with Carson and dedicate him to the Lord. It was such a special day in our lives as parents, and we hope in Carson's -- though he won't remember, he was prayed for: that he would come to trust in Christ, at an early age, for the forgiveness of his sins; that he would be a blessing to others; and that he would love and serve the Lord all of his life. The verse Daniel and I chose for him on this occasion was Ephesians 3:20,21 "Now to Him who is able to do more than we could ever ask or imagine, by the power that is at work within us. To Him be glory, in His church and in Christ Jesus throughout every generation forever and ever. Amen."

What Child is This?

2009-03-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

I've heard from many mommy friends that it's normal to see your baby completely change into almost a different person at specific intervals in his infancy - and I think Carson has undergone his 6 month transformation. Daniel and I can't take our eyes (or cameras) off of him this week, because everything about Carson seems like it's evolving.
1. He sits -- literally, I can leave him sitting in the living room playing while I do chores around the house - it's startling to come back and see him watching tv like a little boy (as seen above)
2. "Ba ba ba da da da da ba blah da EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" seems to be his constant conversation -- and cracks us up b/c we know, in his mind, he's talking just like us.
3. Dexterity: he reaches for everything, he wants to flip light switches, grab toys, his paci, and if you've found favor with him, various parts of your face :)
4. Food: he continues to like anything we put in his mouth -- sweet peas this week were a huge success!
5. Disposition: overall, Carson is as delightful as can be - as happy and smiley as ever -- I think we're gonna keep him!

Num Num!

2009-03-03T06:41:00.000-08:00

Carson's been on solids for a couple of weeks. He's had brown rice mush and bananas -- (the little monkey loves his bananas). For those interested, I'm actually making his baby food. Since I don't nurse him, we spend a fortune on formula, so I'm hoping to recoup some expenses by not purchasing baby food. I don't have the Super Foods book, but just a neat little one my mom picked up at Williams Sonoma -- it's been so fun to make it -- I love knowing exactly what's in his food and where it came from. This week we're moving on to sweet potatoes!

"all done"

Growth Chart

2009-02-27T10:14:00.000-08:00

Something Grandma and Grandpa (Bel and Bill) have been doing for fun is taking pics of Carson next to Missy's childhood baby doll, Jessica. Bel sent me the pics this week - see for yourself how fast he grows!

5 months old

2009-02-24T09:41:00.000-08:00

Happy 5/12ths birthday, Carson. We love our little guy and can't believe he's growing so fast:

Can hold his own spoon when he eats
Asleep by 7:45pm every night
Remembers where to look for his bottle on his crib
Starting to notice Wrigley
Only rolls over w/ help these days
Never facing same direction on tummy as when we put him down

Just cuz I'm cute

2009-02-22T19:47:00.000-08:00

Family Day

2009-02-18T12:07:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago, Dan and I decided to load up the car and head to Research Park for a family picnic. It drizzled at the beginning so we ate our sandwiches in the car, but eventually cleared up and we had a great time playing, napping, and walking!

XOXO

2009-02-13T12:47:00.000-08:00

Dr. report

2009-02-02T16:12:00.000-08:00

Carson had his 4 mo. wellness visit today. It came at a good time since he has a really bad cold and Dr. Saenz was able to check him and make sure it's nothing more. So here are his much awaited stats:
Length: 26.5in -- 90th %
Weight: 18lbs 3oz -- 98th %
Head Circumference: 45cm -- OFF THE CHARTS :)

4 months

2009-01-25T18:58:00.000-08:00

It's hard to believe that Carson has been around for 4 months! I feel like we've really settled into our role as parents and it seems like Carson is pretty used to us too.
Some notable things about our little guy:
Can bear all his weight on his legs
Always watches the TV if it's on
Really quite the drool factory these days
Sometimes smiles while he cries
Only naps in his crib for 30 mins at a time
Never keeps his paci in his mouth anymore

Cowboy Carson

2009-01-16T11:26:00.001-08:00

not surprisingly, Wrigley was a great sport.

When Daddy's behind the camera

2009-01-16T11:19:00.001-08:00

... and has the morning shift

Spittin Image

2009-01-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

I finally got my hands on some baby pics of Daniel and me for an easier comparison of who Carson looks like!

Mommy

Daddy

I Love the Night Life!

2009-01-04T21:05:00.000-08:00

So it's 11pm and Carson has been down for 3 hours. Earlier Dan and I were picking up the house and he commented on how weird it is to now have our nights back, after agreeing with him, I immediately thought, "and I MUST blog about it!"
After a few weeks of focus and determination we have succeeded in getting Carson on a bedtime schedule and we're getting close with daytime scheduling. He pretty much is in bed and asleep around 8 and gets up at 7. (I know that not all parents are into the schedule thing, but in my world there is no functioning outside of routine and fortunately Carson doesn't put up much of a fight.)
It's so weird having this normal, baby-free living at the end of everyday now. Daniel and I don't know what to do with ourselves -- and please - no need to suggest the obvious ;)
The little guy still isn't sleeping the entire night, but it merely takes 20 minutes of changing a diaper and feeding him 4oz and we're back in bed - it's easy! We really are emerging from that state of newborn delirium that people said would eventually end, though I doubted would ever be the case for us.

I must offer acknowledgment and thanks to my dear friend, Shannon, who has given me much information, support, and encouragement in establishing a schedule for Carson. A true mentor, indeed.

Carson's First Christmas

2008-12-29T10:25:00.000-08:00

We made it through our first Christmas as a family (mine and Daniel's 5th as a couple!) What fun to see so much family in such a short time. Carson did great traveling around the region and made out like a bandit where gifts are concerned! We were with the Belota family (my mom's side) in LaGrange on Saturday, the King family (Dad's side) in Houston on Sunday, The King Jr's (just my immediate fam) in Cypress on Wednesday and the Roberts (Dan's immediate) in College Station on Thursday. Here are a few pics from the week:

The entire King Family

Mostly we just remember the dogs at my parents

Relaxing/napping at my parents

More dogs at the Roberts'

And a fun photo shoot at home

Chatter

2008-12-22T12:47:00.000-08:00

So this weekend Carson realized he has a voice, and boy does he like to use it! He's of course been cooing for a while now, but for whatever reason it has been nonstop starting this weekend. I love it! We've been traveling to be with family and he's seen and met a lot of people in the past week, so maybe that has something to do with it.

Also, an update on rolling over: he's only done it once more since I last wrote, so the skill has clearly not yet been mastered. On the other hand, he's become quite adept at screaming and yelling until we come turn him over.

I'm Still Beaming

2008-12-12T11:04:00.000-08:00

Okay, so this morning Carson rolled over. It was COMPLETELY unexpected. We've been pretty intentional with tummy time for about a week and a half now and it didn't seem like he would be rolling over ANY TIME soon. Pretty much he just lays there and pushes up sometimes. But today I put him on his blanket and in about 10 seconds he was on his back. I hope I never forget the little image of him pushing himself onto his side - pausing for a brief moment, and then onto his back he went! I squealed and ran to him and he just gave me the biggest smile back. He's my little hero already!

How Dreamy

2008-12-11T21:44:00.000-08:00

A day every mom remembers

2008-12-09T14:27:00.001-08:00

I was feeling a little adventuresome/ambitious this morning as I was getting ready for the day. Something told me ... maybe the crisp air, maybe the fresh rain fall, maybe the short to-do list ... that today would be full of possibility. So I made up my mind and took the leap. I walked to my closet and dug up an old friend. Yes, my pre-pregnancy jeans. There I stood before the mirror with a look of determination. One leg in ... so far, so good. There goes the second leg and I've got the pants pulled above my knees -- do I dare go any further? Okay, a little wiggle and we've passed the hips (there's no turning back now), here comes the moment of truth. With a crazed look in my eye, I suck in and force that button through its hole like my life depended on it (and for a moment, it did) and SUCCESS!!! I have buttoned a pair of pants that does not have elastic around the waist! Was I comfortable? Oh heavens no! Did they look good? Not quite like I remembered, but I put on a baggy shirt and wore those jeans for the next 5 hours until I couldn't stand it a moment longer. So here I sit now in my stretchy pants blogging about the day's events. Maybe I'll try for 6 hours tomorrow.

No rest for the weary

2008-12-02T20:15:00.000-08:00

Well it's time to confess that I've had an especially hard time not comparing Carson to all my other friends' babies (all the books tell you this will be an issue - but I didn't believe them). I guess now that I have numbers to deal with it makes it perfectly easy. And of course as the saying goes "comparison is the thief of joy" - and so, mine has been robbed. My main source of discouragement is in the realization that my baby seems to be the only one in the world who isn't sleeping through the night yet. How petty - I know - but I won't hide my shame from my readers. Four hours straight is pretty much what we can get out of our night owl. We've tried lots of tricks, but nothing seems to work. I would love some words of encouragement from some mommy friends and perhaps some advice as well (other than patience b/c I'm obviously lacking that -- I'm looking for something more in the quick-fix category like baby sedatives, but I don't know where to find them on this side of the border)

Dr Saenz and Carson (2 months)

2008-12-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

We went to see Dr Saenz today for Carson's wellness visit and to get his first round of shots. Here are his stats:
Length - 24 3/4in (95th percentile)
Weight - 13lbs 15oz (95th percentile)
Head Circumference - 41.6cm (90th percentile)
So apparently (but not surprisingly) our baby boy is big which of course makes daddy proud!
As far as the shots go, Nurse Elisabeth was a pro and administered all 4 in about 10 seconds. Even more surprisingly Carson only cried for less than a minute before he had a smile for us again - what a tough guy! We're giving him some baby Tylenol just in case those smiles go away, though.

The Birth of a Smile

2008-11-24T19:04:00.001-08:00

Workin Hard for the Money

2008-11-21T17:30:00.000-08:00

I returned to work 3 weeks ago, but haven't had time to blog about it yet. First of all: my job. BC (before Carson) I worked full-time at Grace Bible Church for the college ministry - a job I'd held for 3 years. Sadly for me, it wasn't exactly the kind of job or lifestyle I could keep up with as a new mom, so I resigned my position and accepted an offer to work part-time as an accounting assistant to the church's finance director. Now I put in approx. 20 hrs a week at Southwood (the church's new campus which opened this fall). It's been good to be back in the mix, seeing and interacting with people in the outside world, but it has of course been challenging squishing 20 more hours in to my week somehow. Fortunately, I am not lacking help. Aunt Ashley (my sis) and Grandma Bel provide a tremendous service by watching Carson 2 days a week. The third day I bring him in to the office with me where he is welcomed with open arms by my understanding co-workers.

These are my best work friends, Pam (or Pammy, as I affectionately call her in my head) and Erin (who shares my office with me)

This is Marty, he has a job here too, but mostly does handy work for Erin and me.

Carson + Addison

2008-11-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday we got a very special visit from my friends Beth and Sarah b/f the football game. Us girls and our husbands have all been friends since college. Beth and Joey are in the Austin area and Sarah and Nick up near Dallas - so Dan and I are always extra excited when we get to see them. This weekend Carson and I got to meet Addison, who is Beth's completely lovable 8mo old. Here are the darling pics from the meeting. Thank you, Miss Sarah, for your handiwork behind the camera!

Notice how Addison is holding Carson's hand already :)

Grow, Carson, Grow!

2008-11-12T18:09:00.000-08:00

I don't know if there is an official length of time one remains a newborn, but Daniel and I think that Carson has outgrown that phase. Today he is 7 weeks old, no longer fits into any newborn clothes or diapers, and just seems different. Personally, I'm thrilled. I'll be the first to admit that I don't think I really love the newborn phase. Carson is more interactive, explorative, and energetic these days. It is so fun to just sit and watch him. I also know that these things are all just a taste of what's to come!

Happy birthday, Grandpa

2008-11-02T19:16:00.000-08:00

Today is Bill's birthday and we got to celebrate over the weekend with the family (minus Aunt Missy who's studying abroad)

3 generations of Robertsereses

Add Uncle David to the mix

I'm bendy

2008-11-02T19:14:00.001-08:00

Happy Halloween

2008-11-02T18:58:00.001-08:00

"mom, get me out of this thing!"

Bath Time

2008-10-27T20:50:00.000-07:00