5 Months

• You had your 4 month shots on Monday and did great.
• Weight: 15 lbs
• Eating: You now drink 6 ounces every 3 hours and 15 minutes (5 bottles a day).
• Sleep: You go to bed between 6:30 and 7:30pm and we get you up at 6am.  You wiggle a lot in your sleep and most mornings we find you a totally different direction in the bed then when you went to sleep.
• You are still in size 2 diapers
• You are now mostly wearing 3-6 month clothes.  Most of your pants are still 3 month but the 3 month onesies are too short.
• You have start rolling from back to tummy.  I was totally shocked the 1^st time I saw you do this.  It took you a few tries to figure out what to do with your arm, once you rolled over but you eventually got it.
• You still smile a lot and are "talk" more.
• You still LOVE the jumparoo.  You go crazy jumping in it and love to watch Praise Baby on TV while you jump.
• You still love TV, music, and bath time
• You got your first cold.  You had a terrible cough and looked like you felt terrible for about 3 days.
• Most babies lose hair on the back of their head, but you lost it on the right side of your head from all that sleeping you used to do on your side.  From one side you look like you have a mohawk.

4 Months

• You had your 4 month shots on Monday and did great.
• Weight: 14 lbs 1 oz (31.96%)
• Length: 24.6 in (37.33%)
• Head: 16.6 in (46.92%)
• Eating: You were still eating 5 ounces about every 3 hours (6 bottles a day), but on the day you turned 4 months old we switched to 6 ounces every 3 hours and 15 minutes (5 bottles a day).
• Sleep: You are still a really good sleeper.  You go to bed between 7:30 and 8pm and we get you up at 6am.  Some mornings you start waking up around 5:30, but you don't normally cry and you are usually back asleep by the time I make it to your room to get you up for the day. You alternate sleeping on your side and back. 
• You moved up to size 2 diapers
• You are still mostly wearing 3 month clothes, but I have started putting you in a few 3-6 month clothes.
• You have start rolling from back to side, but haven't quite figured out how to get all the way to your tummy.
• You smile a lot and are starting to "talk" more.
• You LOVE the jumparoo.  Your feet don't hit the floor, but we put a pillow or towel under you and you jump like crazy.
• You love TV, music, bath time
• Your umbilical hernia is completely gone.  You now have a normal belly button.
• You now have really good head control.
• You are starting to grasp objects and you love to put everything in your mouth.
• Your made you 1st trip out on the boat and did excellent.  You lasted 6 1/2 hours one day and 5 hours the next day.
• You love school and seem to be content in the swing each morning when I drop you off.

Mommy and Daddy love you soo much.  I am soo thankful for you and can't imagine what life would be like without you.

3 Months

• I started back to work this month (May 28th) and you started going to school.  I'm not gonna lie, that 1st day was rough!  I cried all the way to school.  You started crying too and you never cry in the car.  I cried the entire time I was dropping you off at school.  I had to run back in your room after I left and you were crying which upset me even more.  I cried all the way to work and every time someone asked me about you at work I cried.  I checked on you at lunch and you were doing good which made me feel better.  After the 1st day, all the tears were gone and going to school is no big deal.  I put you in a swing each morning and you are happy as can be.
• Weight: We haven't been to the doctor in a while, but my best guess is between 12 1/2 and 13 lbs
• Length: 25 in (my best guess)
• Eating: You are still eating 5 ounces about every 3 hours (6 bottles a day)
• Sleep: You are still a really good sleeper.  You go to bed between 8-8:30opm and we get you up at 6am.  You usually starting waking up around 5:30, but you don't normally cry and you are usually back asleep by the time I make it to your room to get you up for the day.  And have I mentioned that you are a side sleeper?  You love to sleep right up next to the side of the crib.
• You made your first trip to the lake.  Lolly and Pop sold their lake house so we went to help them move into a rental while they build their retirement house.
• Your umbilical hernia is getting better.  It's starting to look like a normal belly button.
• You smile a lot these days.  You are always soo happy in the morning right after your 1st bottle.  I allow extra time in the mornings before we leave for school/work so that we can hang out.  I always get lots of smiles.
• You are starting to make noises and sometimes I even think I hear a laugh.
• You are getting better head control.  You are still a little small for the bumbo seat, but I did put you in the jumparoo.  I had to put a pillow under your feet, but you seems to love it.
• You went swimming for the 1st time.  Although the water was a little cold, you didn't seem to mind.  You love bath time so I was pretty sure you would love the pool and you do!

I say this every month, but I really can't believe it's been another month.  You have become such a good baby and are getting to be so much fun.

Getting Back to Exercise

I never imagined how hard it would be to find time to workout once I went back to work.  I have always been in decent shape and having a kid is no excuse to change that now. 
I started trying, trying being the key word, to get back into an exercise routine after my 6 week follow-up appointment at the doctor.  Carter's napping patterns were all over the board which made finding 30 free minutes hard.  There were days I got a little exercise and other days I got none.  Then Scott and I decided to do the 30 day squat challenge which seems to be all the rage right now.  I wasn't thinking wisely when we started b/c the last 10 days of the challenge were right when I started back to work.  Luckily we never missed a day and today is the last day!  
Now I am trying to figure out what is next.  I need to start working on my abs and the rest of my body and try to mix up my workouts a little. 
It's the "When" that I can't seem to decide on.  I know it's not going to happen in the morning.  I really don't want to get up earlier than 5:30am.  I don't really want to workout while Carter is awake after we get home from work because I would rather spend time with him.  So that leaves after he goes to bed around 8:15-8:30.  By this time of night usually all I want to do it sit down for a bit before I take a shower, but I guess that is what the weekends are for. 
Working out at night kind of eliminates much running outside, but hopefully I can get back into the CrossFit style workouts and get myself back on track. 

So here's to hoping that I can dig deep and suck it up and start working out at night.  I guess the upside is that it will be cooling off outside by that time of night.

2 Months

• You had your 2 month check-up yesterday and did really well.  I wasn't sure what to except getting 4 shots, but you handled it like a champ.  The screaming didn't last as long as I feared and the only side effect you seemed to have was wanting to sleep the rest of the day.
• Weight: 11 lbs 1 oz (25%)
• Length: 23 1/4 in (52%)
• Head: 15 1/2 in (27%)
• Eating: I started exclusively pumping and giving you a bottle and this has seemed to solve the weight gain issue.  You now eat 5 ounces about every 3 hours (6 bottles a day)
• Sleep:  We moved you out of our bedroom and into your crib when you were six weeks old.  You started sleeping through the night just a few days before you turned 2 months old.  You did it all on your own.  I hear you on the monitor some nights wiggling around, but you usually put yourself right back to sleep without ever crying.  This is a huge accomplishment since I am about to start back to work.
• You made your first trip to Northeast AR this month to see CiCi and Papaw at their house.  You were excellent in the car.
• You were diagnosed with Eczema and I think we have that under control now.  
• You have an umbilical hernia, but the doctor says not to worry this should correct itself by the time you are 2 years old.
• You have started smiling more and you love to stare at the TV.
• You don't really like tummy time.

I just can't believe you are 2 months old.  These first couple of months have been hard, but worth every bit of it.  I can't imagine life without you.  Mommy and Daddy love you sooooo much!!

Mother's Day 2013

Last year on Mother's Day weekend, I went home to see my parents.  While I was in town, I also met with a doctor regarding my issues with infertility.  That appointment resulted in the decision to have surgery which removed tons of endometriosis.  I am soo thankful that God led me to this doctor and Scott and I decided to have the surgery.  Because of that, I spent Mother's Day this year as a MOM!!!

My parents came down for the weekend and we cooked out and did lots of projects around the house.  My dad built me this awesome planter.  Now I just have to find something to put on it to tone down the brightness of the paint.  But hey, I scored that paint for $5 at Lowe's because it was apparently the wrong color or someone didn't like it.

I am soo grateful for this little guy and I am soo happy I was able to spend my 1st Mother's Day as a mom with family.  The weather was great and we spent lots of time outside.  

1 Month

I know I am way behind, but I wanted to document a few things from Carter's 1st month.

• We made several trips to the doctor in the 1st few days you were home from the hospital to have your Bilirubin checked because you were jaundice.  Finally on the 3rd check if was starting to go down. 
• Your hair is still brown but your eyes have turned from hazel to blue.
• Weight:  You weighed 7lbs at your 1st dr appointment, the second appointment you were 7lbs 3oz, and the 3rd appointment, which was the next day, you were 7lbs 2 1/2 oz.   At your 1 month appointment you weighed 8lb 2oz.  You have had some trouble gaining weight, but we are working on it.  You were given Zantac for reflux because you have been spitting up a lot and the doctor was afraid that it was part of the issue with you not gaining a lot of weight.  When you were 3 weeks old I knew something was off with your weight so I took you in for a weight check.  You were 7lbs 4oz.  You had only gained 1 oz in 2 weeks.  They told me to start offering you a bottle after each feeding so that is what we did.  In 6 days you gained 7 oz so you were up to 7lbs 11oz.  A week later you were up to 8lbs 2 oz.  The doctor asked that we come back 3 days later and have it checked again and you were up to 8lbs 9oz.
• Length:  You were still measuring 21 3/4 in at your 1 month check up.
• Sleep:  Some nights are better than others.  We actually got a few nights were you slept 6-7 hours and there was even one night where you slept 8 hours.  Lots of nights you were up every 3 hours.  Sunday nights always seem to be the worst.
• Eating:  You eat about every 3 hours.  Since we started offering a bottle after breastfeeding it seems like one meal takes an hour and a half so some days it seems like all we do it eat.  

I can't believe how fast this 1st month has gone by.  While it has been very stressful at times, I have loved every minute of it.  We have even caught you smiling a few times and I can't wait to see more smiles every day.  You make some pretty funny facial expressions.

Mommy and Daddy love you sooo much!!