Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Happy St. Patrick's Day from all of us to you! Carter is sporting his "Mom's little good luck charm" shirt which is hard to see in these pictures taken this morning! Jesse is on his way to pick him up from daycare today. I'm sure they did some fun activities and maybe got some green milk!

Floaters, Numbers, & Swiffer - Oh My!

Well, I have definitely NOT stuck to my "weekly" post, so I have some catching up to do! Carter is in bed (score! not an easy task these days) and Jesse is at bowling league tonight (yes, I am the good wife who tolerates such extracurricular nonsense!) ;-) Here goes....

CARTER'S HEALTH & SURGERY UPDATE: Wouldn't you know it, two days before Carter's scheduled surgery which was not this week or last week but the week before last week (got that?) - he got sick AGAIN. We took him to the doctor and he felt we should test for RSV which is Respiratory Syncytial Virus (they swab their boogers). Don't ask me how to say that second word that starts with an "s"....although I'm sure my sister can pronounce it. Those words are part of her regular nurse vocabulary. Basically, it's a virus very common in infants ages 0-1 and is an infection of the lungs and breathing passages. It can be VERY serious and is SUPER contagious. Carter is a little bit on the older side to contract it but he did (thankfully we caught it early). So we were sent home with a Nebulizer (what a machine - it sounds like a compressor), steroids and an antibiotic. Carter loved the Nebby the Nebulizer (NOT)! He really hated it and it was sometimes very hard to keep him from squirming away....plus you have to hold it around his nose/mouth as there is no way he was going to tolerate the evil mask. Carter stayed away from daycare all that week and hung with Grandma Zens (so thankful for having family close by!) Carter has been doing great, had a good check-up last Tuesday, March 1st, and his surgery to remove the tonsils and adenoids is scheduled for Wednesday, March 23rd. So, we are keeping the fingers and toes crossed that he stays healthy for these next few weeks. If not, we have a written prescription and mom won't be afraid to fill it! :-)

BOMPBA! Carter brought tears to my eyes when we mentioned "Grandpa" in our conversation last night - not sure which one we were talking about - Zens or Aschenbrenner - but he said "Bompba" for "Grandpa"!!!! And he also says "papa". Then when Grandpa Zens stopped by for a few minutes tonight he got to hear it too.

TRIP TO SIOUX FALLS TO SEE BOMPBA ASCHENBRENNER Can you say cabin fever?!!! Man, it was so nice to just get away and not be stuck in the house last Saturday. My dad was bowling in a tournament in Sioux Falls, SD last weekend so we made the trip there to visit him. We snuck in a little shopping at Old Navy where Jesse snagged some great buys on a few shirts, Carter scored an adorable and nicely priced pair of jeans and shirt and I bought a few bargain sweaters (I love end-of-season clearance). My dad "bompba" had fun chasing Carter around the store and the mall, spoiling him a little with the 25 cent machines...Carter got a little pink spin toy and some m&ms....yummy! We also at some pretty delicious pizza (and beer) at Old Chicago. No, Carter didn't have any beer, although I'm sure he wouldn't have hesitated to guzzle if given the opportunity! Bompba was making Carter giggle quite a bit in the car....there's just something so special and magical about watching your parents bond and enjoy their time their grandchildren.

SWIFFER MADNESS It brings great fear to me that Carter has taking such a liking to the Swiffer. I'm a little nervous and feeling outnumbered having not one but two clean freaks in the house (Okay, I know that I am jumping the gun and praying this is just a phase and that Carter and I can gang up on dad teasing him about what a clean freak he is). I'm already living in an overabundance of testosterone and now this?! It's actually pretty cute to watch him push it around (he even gets it up on the counter tops and tonight there was a close call with mom's water glass). The first thing he wanted when he woke up this morning was the Swiffer! Really?

FIRST FLOATERS Yep. Floaters. Ew. Really? Yes. Mortifying? Yes. Carter took his first #2 in the bathtub this week and it was really traumatic for me! We were playing along with his toys and then I see this brown mysterious little ball slowly surface - at first thinking, hoping, praying it is a toy....racking my brain - what toy looks like poooo and then it hits me - it is poooo! I started screaming and yelling for Jesse and he was laughing hysterically at me. Of course, being the manly man he is, he didn't even want to help me fish the little brown balls out! So, I took the Solo cup (yes, a red Solo cup has been one of Carter's favorite bath time toys) and after a few failed recoveries, I eventually got all 3 pieces out with a little direct contact (used my hand). Again, ew - gross! Carter just looked at me the whole time like "What's the matter with you, you crazy nut?!". You'd think after changing as many diapers as I have it wouldn't be a big deal but let's be honest...I don't handle the #2's well. I do them but hate it!

NUMBERS Carter has finally mastered (well, semi-mastered) counting "one, two, three"!. Soooo cute. Honestly, it is so precious and amazing to watch a little one's vocabulary expand and tackle and master those "firsts". Jesse has nightly and morning rituals with Carter which include removing and placing our decorative pillows on our bed (I know what you're thinking - and no, we don't have as many pillows as what's his name on the movie Along Came Polly!) and when prepping the coffee pot for the morning Carter helps Jesse count the number of scoops of coffee to go into the filter. Sometimes he says "one" and then "three" which sounds more like "free" and skips "two".....heck, it's still so cute! He's a brilliant little boy!

DAYCARE HIATUS Carter's daycare provider, Tonia, is on vacation today, tomorrow and Monday/Tuesday (who can blame her?!) of next week so Carter made a return visit to Wonder World in Slayton today and did well I think. He will be at Grandma Zens tomorrow and Monday and back to Wonder World Tuesday and then back on schedule. He only clung to my leg this morning at Wonder World for about a minute and then I was forgotten. I have to remind myself that is a good thing. Is it wrong for me to want him to cry or cling to me just a little bit more? I know this time is going so fast and will continue to fly and I will one day look back at all of these memories and yearn for them again....

A New Year, Surgery & Snow Play

New's Year Resolution for 2011 - Blog! I'm not one who is really that into New Year's Resolutions but one that I had this year was to blog about Carter's major milestones and just things going on in our lives for whoever really cares to updated on, read in their spare time, and for us to have a journal for Carter someday. I have been keeping a personal journal of Carter's development....however I've been behind on that too! So, as a catch up to the last few months, I'm going to rattle on about several things (and this will probably be my longest post ever)

Surgery - Out come the tonsils & adenoids
Carter has been sick SO MUCH the last 3 months. At first it seemed like the usual exposure to daycare germs since he just started attending daycare in October and then he was getting a bunch of teeth in....but it is more than that. He has had 2 ear infections, tonsillitis two times and bronchitis and I probably missed a few! Poor dude! So, he is having his tonsils and adenoids removed this Wednesday morning (Feb 23) at the local hospital in Slayton. An Ear/Nose/Throat doctor that travels from Willmar is doing the surgery. Carter will have to spend the day and night in the hospital for observation since he is under three years old. I go back and forth on what the right thing to do is - is it the surgery? It is so hard to put a little one that age through but honestly, after him being sick again this weekend, I do think it will greatly help him in the long-run. He has enlarged tonsils and has snored since birth....the large tonsils harbor infection and I think both contribute to the snoring (he can definitely compete with his grandpas!). I pray for a speedy recovery for Carter and that putting him under will not be as traumatic for me as I envision it to be. We are stocked up on Pedialyte, Gatorade and Popsicles!

Carter's first snowmobile ride!
Carter had his very first snowmobile ride with his dad the weekend before Valentine's Day on Sunday. I don't think he knew what to think all bundled up (he hasn't been bundled in his snowsuit very many times as it's either been too cold or he's been sick). He also was drug around by Grandpa Zens on the sled (looks really enthused doesn't he?!). That didn't last long and then he was into the tractor for a ride with Grandpa Z....soon Carter was sawing Z's! Zonked out! I can't believe he slept during a ride in his most prized form of transportation. He is obsessed with tractors. It was basically his first word besides "dadda"!





Bath time boy!
Had to share a picture of Carter actually smiling (rarely do I get these with him!). He loves bath time and when mentioned that it's time for a bath goes running into the bath room, digging out his toys, throwing them into the tub. So much fun to watch kids this age play in the water. I look forward to the summertime, and having Carter swim at Lake Shetek and taking him maybe to swimming lessons.


In closing tonight, I have to say I am continually amazed by Carter's development, despite is frequent illnesses...I think he is actually just getting used to being sick! Anyway, he impressed me today with his comprehension. Jesse told him to go get the flashlight and he knew exactly where to get it and what it was. I think the best is that I can give him something and tell him to go throw it away and he does! I tend to forget he is 19 months old and is not an infant anymore. He is definitely learning and trying to expand his vocabulary which is so fun! Lots of "uh-oh", and of course, "Trater" for "Tractor". And we think he is saying "k" like "okay" in response to us which is very cool! Oh and "mine"! Everything is "mine" and there are the typical "tantrums" where he stomps his feet or hits something or hits one of us. It's all learning. At least he hasn't been knocking the little ones over who are learning to stand lately at daycare! His daycare is pretty much all boys (6 other boys and 2 girls)....hmmm, wonder where he learns that stuff?! :-)

Have a great week. Enjoy the snow Minnesotans (sob, sob). Longing for you Early Spring.

Carter walks and much more....

Wow, so it is just over 11 months since Carter was born and I haven't truly written a blog post. I had written a few journal entries on our Shutterfly website, but have always intended to blog about his first year. It kept getting pushed - I'll do it tonight, tomorrow night, next week, next month, and now well, here we are - he is WALKING! 11 months old and walking. It is not too surprising to me that he is walking before a year. He is so curious with surroundings and active - crawling, walking and was very active in his jump-a-roo (bouncer). I have a journal of his milestones and it is fun to look back and recollect those special moments. But there is just something about watching your little one accomplish what seems to be an impossible and miraculous feet - walking on two legs is simply amazing. And so is his excitement. He began taking those first steps Memorial Weekend (little steps between close pieces of furniture) but still crawled as his primary means of getting to Point A to B. It was Friday, June 25th that I noticed a HUGE improvement in his confidence to take those steps. It was crazy - from leaving him in the morning to coming home that evening - the progress he had made. And it only continued at Grandma and Grandpa Zens. He was wheeling around there, albeit, slightly resembling that of a drunkard, but really getting around and not crawling much at all anymore. My baby isn't a baby anymore! He LOVES to play peek-a-boo, be chased, to chase you. I know that over the weeks, much of his leg strength was built from pushing EVERYTHING around. He finds great joy in pushing his trucks around (sideways, front-ways, doesn't matter!), the kitchen chairs and bar stools, and piano bench. He still is doing that.

With Carter's one year birthday quickly approaching, I look back on a year of many firsts that span the spectrum of emotions. Most of them have been of joy, with some (actually many) yawns in between. Actually, he has been a pretty good sleeper since he was born if I compare stories with other parents, but recently he has been waking up at least once per night and seems to think it's time to get up around 5:30.

Some other developments:

• This past week he has tried both black and green olives and loves them both!
• He is beginning to throw some tantrums. Definitely knows when he wants up and down and up and down (can't make up his mind!)
• Shakes his head "No". This started at 10 months. He doesn't always do it on cue, randomly will shake his head no. When he started really walking this weekend he started shaking his head "no" at the same time and fell over. Hmmm, wonder why!
• High-fives! He can give you a high-five (really mastered this just recently)
• Waves Bye-Bye. Not always, but sometimes. He is getting better! It is more of an arm extension up.
  
• He found his hands (clapped them together) this weekend
• He kisses you (when he wants to), they are open-mouth and slobbery! Jesse taught him that and he caught on around mid-May (10 months)
• He is daddy's boy at heart. He loves to turn on the stereo and DVD player. He will turn them on and then look at you, knowing he is doing something naughty. Jesse will say "Carter Zens, what are you doing?" Carter's response, he laughs! What a stinker!
• Very intrigued by the vacuum. Sadly, they are probably close to being friends. He sees the vacuum every day.
  
• Obsessed with his pacifier. Has to have it when he goes to sleep. It is going to be fun weaning him from that one!
  

Finding out...

My husband Jesse and I found out we were pregnant last fall, November 1st 2008 - it was exciting and shocking. We were at my dad's house for the weekend (my grandma's 80th b-day party) when we found out...it was pretty funny because I had taken the test and was standing in the bathroom a slight state of shock when my sister came in asking if everything was okay...yes, my sister found out I was pregnant before my husband! I ran down the hall and told him but kept the secret the rest of the weekend which was very difficult! I wanted to tell everyone but knew I wasn't far along at all. I found out that following Monday, November 3rd, that I was in my 5th week. Of course I had to confirm the news for myself by taking a second test -- another positive test. My anticipated due date was given, July 10, 2009.