Kids Say the Darndest Things!

After having a few words, before Carter started walking (like, "Da da da, and Mum, mum, mum) Carter started walking. This put a hiatus on talking for a few weeks, but he is back at it-and how!

Some of the words he is sporting are:
-nana
-ish
-dada
-nonono
-mmmmm
-bae
-baa (hard "a" Texas sounding)

Can you guess their meaning? Pretty obvious with most.
-nana = banana (said in a particularly fond voice-that kid loves bananas)
-ish used to be shish, but has been pared down = fish
-dada, or just DA! = dad (for some reason mummum really requires a lot of prompting these days)
-nonono = I have noticed when I tell Carter a second time not to touch something, I don't use our line, "Touch no, Carter", but resort to "No, no, no", and then follow with the verbal + physical cue, "Hands off". Confusing, and not intentional, but it has elicited a nonono a few times from the peanut gallery.
-mmmmm = mmmmm, what you are feeding me is delicious.
-bae = baby
-baa = bye. Sometimes this is coupled with a ba, ba, and it is often accompanied by a single wave, or double at times.

I am sure there are others he knows, but we have yet to figure out. He is also big into pointing which is helpful beyond words, and has reduced some of his frusteration.

Whistle While You Work

I hate February.

Let's just get that over with right now. It goes too fast. This is why winter sucks. I, frankly, have never found February to be a long month. It has been busy for as long as I can remember. In University spring break was in February, which meant you were in the middle of your semester, and by that point far behind. Now, February means that you in your head think it will be a slow month, but it isn't. Don't fool yourself.

In a few days, Carter will be 14 months old, which means he is almost 15 months old (OK, I don't know why 15 is that much older than 14, but it just seems to be). In a few days I will be out of my first trimester, and even though I look about 4 months pregnant now...I am excitedly anticipating the change in hormone levels so that I can have more energy for Carter and Matt.

Speaking of Carter-this IS his blog after all.

Matt has been teaching Carter how to whistle. He loves blowing air out of his lips, and he loves having his face blown on. When he was a little infant and crying a lot, we used to use that technique (if I phrase it like that, it sounds more certified). I know, it sounds mean (Child Protection Workers take note) and it may have been. But sometimes it was just a really good way to get him out of "the cry". You know how it is when babies get caught in the cry, and can't seem to get out. Well, a blow on the face can work. Regardless, now Carter not only likes the rush of air, but he also loves making air come out of his mouth. He loves that he can make a noise out of his lips if pursed together enough.

Just writing this reminds me how much Carter has changed over this year. He used to hate the wind on his face, making small "OOhah, OOO(blow)," noises. Now he is riveted by it. He will let out a small smile and a look of exhilaration passes his face.

The other day, Carter and I were looking at video of him on the computer when he was a few weeks old and lifting his head. I can remember thinking at the time of filming how amazing that little feat was for him. The other day I cried at the amazement of the tiny feat, and the changes that have happened for him. Carter on my lap watching himself. How surreal. I couldn't help but feel a little loss, as well as brimming with pride at what an amazing little boy he is, already.

We are so lucky to be able to do this again, and I know I cherished each moment with Carter the first time, but I promise to do so even more this time. I think because Matt and I now have a concept of how amazing these kids are, and how fast they are different from the last moment.

Is it possible to love someone more each day? I know it is. I guess all this mush will help us get through the teen-age years...right Mom and Dad Heinrichs and Stokes?

Try this at home kids.

Today, poor Ruth (Carter's day child care) was sick. This meant I got to have a home free day today. Sure, it comes out of my sick time, but really-a free day home with your kid when you are least expecting it, not to shabby.

NOW-let's forget for the moment that Carter didn't nap this afternoon, and had a tough time after his nap this am (a combination of things-one of which is teething-of COURSE)

Try this at home.
1. Get an 11 x 17 piece of paper
2. Take it in both hands (with hands positioned on either side of the paper)
3. Place paper on your head
4. Slide it down the back of your head to your neck-attempting to rip it as you go down.
5. Wasn't that fun??


This was the newest craze today. He was a man on fire, and could not be stopped. So along with peek-a-boo (which Aidan from daycare taught Carter), and running through the kitchen and causing chaos, we had a wonderful day.

I hope Ruth is feeling better, but it was sure nice to have this sick day. Please Sir, may I have some more?

It's My Party, and I'll Cry if I Want To

Something has perplexed me for a few months now. Sometimes when Carter gets up, he wakes up crying.

"So?" Dear reader you respond, "Lots of kids wake up crying! There is nothing new with that!"

Although this is true, I came to the conclusion this morning that maybe Carter, when he first wakes up, is in a bad mood. I wake up in a bad mood, it doesn't take me too long to get over it, but I am frusterated because I am not sleeping anymore.

You see, the cry he makes is often not the "I am sad because you are not here with me" cry, nor is it the, "I am in pain" cry. And he doesn't really have the "I wish someone would wipe this poop off my butt" cry, because, frankly, that kid is more than happy to sit in his stool for a long time (don't call the social workers on us just yet, because of the retched smell-damn pregnancy and its sense of super smell-he is changed right away).

If given a few minutes to chill, Carter usually calms down, and chats to himself in the crib until we get him. That is, unless we are too lazy to get him, and he hangs out too long, then he will start to cry again out of sheer boredom. (it IS kind of boring in there) He is more happy then, he is out of his crib and he can wave to the robots on his wall, Tigger in the shelf, and the picture of Dad and Carter in the Ocean.