It's been a while...

I haven't posted in a while so I will do a quick update (for which will explain why so long for a post) and I will get back to updating more frequently with pics. This will be long....hang in there!!!

So, the day after my last post my Meemaw passed away. It was quick and we have been expecting it for a long time. She was the first family member I have ever lost so it was a bit difficult. At her funeral there was a pic of her holding Carter at about 7 months old. They were just looking at each other with a sweet slight smile...that is what I want to remember. She referred to me as her P.G. (Perfect Granddaughter(I'm the ONLY)) and she called Carter "My darling precious baby". I just wish I had that on video tape now.

A week and a half later Scott and I celebrated 9 years of marriage! That is hard to believe! We had a great night out planned. A nice dinner and my Mother-in-law was going to come over to put Carter down for us. The day before, Carter had been bit by a mosquito on his ear. It was a little swollen the morning of our Anniversary so we took him to the doc. They gave us some meds and said to call if it got worse. Well, after I got out of the shower to get ready for our hot date...the ear was HUGE. I mean LARGE!!!! If you have ever seen Will Smith in Hitch, then you can start to understand HUGE. So we called the MD and of course the office was closed and he said go to the ER. Soooo on our Anniversary we were at Scottish Rite...not romantic but how things are done now that we are parents. That night we both agreed that after our 6 year struggle with getting pregnant, we would much rather be taking care of our littleman's bug bite on our Anniversary than going out to a fancy dinner!

On September 1 I had the pleasure of laboring on of my most dear friends during the delivery of her premature twins. It was very scary but very beautiful. I am so privelidged to have been there to welcome them into the world! They are doing great now and are growing and hopefully coming home soon!! Please lift them and their parents up during this difficult time as they are still in the NICU.

On 9/8/10 our littleman started preschool at our church!!! It was the first time EVER Carter was not in the presence of us or one of our mothers. It was a bit scary, exciting, nerve racking, and relieving all in one. We had talked about this since he was born. We wanted him to avoid daycare as long as possible. There is nothing wrong with daycare, we both were in daycare, we just wanted him to be at home with us until his little immune system was stronger. We also knew we wanted him in a school focused on teaching not just "watching" him. So we were thrilled that God's plan has been what we wanted too! When we walked away after he took off running with excitement into his class I felt so proud of my big boy. When Scott took my hand and looked at me though, I thought I was going to cry. But...I am proud to say, I just wiped a few small tears and was pleased and comfortable with our decision on where he was. We are thrilled with his teachers and how wonderful he is doing. WARNING: Mommy brag moment. Our pediatrician even said at his 2 year check up that he is "Brilliant" to quote her! We are more than pleased with all that Mrs. Tracey and Susanne have taught our littleman! It is just amazing.

We also celebrated Carter's 2nd birthday. We kept it simple. We didn't invite all of "our" friends, we invited Carter's friends. We had the big blowout first birthday where we invite everyone who is close to us and loves our Carter too. It was so fun and we really had a good time, but this one was for Carter. So he had a few little friends his age who he regularly "hangs" with and we had a great time! We were just missing one important little boy but he was under the weather so we will make that one up!!!

The begining of this month we went to Corndawgs. For you out-of-state readers, it is a local farm that has a ton of things for kids of all ages to do. It's a fall festival, pumpkin patch, cornmaze, hayride type place. Carter had a great time. We went with about 5 other couples with small children. I think the underground slide and corn box was the favorite. They had a sand box that was full of corn kernels instead. It sounds weird but it was really cool! Poor little Carter had corn everywhere!!!

That brings us up to tonight. We carved our Pumpkin! It was so fun to have Carter "helping". He is such the big helper! He wants to help do everything. So while Daddy was cutting, carving, and scooping...Mommy was holding the bag for waste, and Carter was holding the top with the stem!! He was soooo excited to put the "light" in the pumpkin. We brought it in and put it in the kitchen so he could enjoy it for a while. I couldn't put it outside until after he was in the bed! Sooo cute! So now that I have updated...it's on! Look for our Halloween pics and blog this weekend! We are going to church for the fall festival as......Superman! Boy is he just sooo cute too!!!
Thanks for catching up with us. It was just a little difficult to actually put in words that my Meemaw is gone. So now that I have I will be posting more regularly agian.
Happy Halloween! Be safe and watch for children everywhere all weekend.

WOW...the difference a day makes...

I can't believe how many new words Carter is learning to say each day! It is so crazy! He is just talking and being a little copy cat!! Today alone he has added Tiger and "copter" (short for helicopter)! He has really started this in the last week! It's so fun, but so frustrating trying to figure out some of the words. He has one that I have no idea what it is but he says it all the time. I hope to figure it out soon before we have a toddler size melt down over me not understanding. For fun here are a few of our newest words over the last week...
-Carter "Caaadaaar" He drags out a lot of words, I didnt' know I sounded so country until he started repeating us!!!
-Helicopter "copter"
-Elmo "Velmo"
-truck "tuck"
-hi "hi"
-girl "guurl"
-tiger "tiguh"
-train "choo choo"
-cat "meow"
-bus "buuuh"
-firetruck "whoo whoo" like a siren sound!!!
-and my favorite for wanting to eat Goldfish....he just puckers up his lips and moves the bottom one up and down like he is making a fish face!!!! I'll try to catch that one in a pic! Too cute!
Hope everyone is having a good Monday so far! I'm enjoying the cool 78 degrees out today!
Love,
Crystal

Swallow Study Results

Since my last update we had our swallow study done. The Radiologist ticked Scott and I off so bad I've had to wait a few days to post so I wouldn't spend the post ranting about her. Soooo the results were normal. He was such a big boy and they got good views. They said they will send a final copy to my Ped and the ENT that referred us, but that it looked normal. So that is great! On the other hand we still have no explanation for the choking. He's been doing much better lately, but I still hold my breath with every meal and snack until he is done. We will now see a GI to see if it's reflux. But like I've said for the past week, there will be no more "hold your son down while we torture him" testing. I'm done with that...give me some drugs and if they work then it's reflux, as easy as that. If they don't work then it's not reflux and we will move forward with the next step, whatever that is.
So today we got Carter's haircut...anyone else have problems with their toddler freaking out over a haircut??? I would love some advice...lollipops, stickers, holding him, watching tv, and sitting in cool cars have all failed. I hate to see him so upset, of course when we got home we noticed she had cut is neck with the clippers so that explains a ton. Ugggghhhh.
After the traumatic haircut we went to the pool! Carter is so cute! He would rather play with red solo cups on the stairs than swim or jump in to his Daddy! So we sat on the stairs and played!
We are looking forward to our cookout at our house tomorrow with some really great friends! 8 adults and 8 kids, one dog, one sprinler, one pool, and one slip-n-slide! Should be fun! I hope to get my camera cooperating so I can have some cute pics to post! Have a great weekend!
Love,
Crystal

Bad day at the ENT (Ear, Nose, and Throat) doctor

So to catch you up quickly. Carter has been snoring loudly since he was about 1. I did not think nothing of it but brought it up at his 15 month check up. You could hear him down the hall with his door closed so I thought this may be a problem. They immediately referred us to WONDERFUL Dr. Herrmann at Scottish Rite. He saw us and put Carter on a med to help with the "normal for toddlers but slightly increased" swelling in Carter's nose passages. So it worked wonderfully and still does. We went today for follow up so we could brag about how great it was to not need surgery.

Unfortunately Carter has always been the kid that with every meal you have to tell him to "chew it up", "small bites please", and "take a sip" to help wash down his food. He for some reason has always seem to have problems. A few times as we were introducing new foods he choked to what we thought was really bad. We would have to jerk him out of his highchair and start to do the Heimlich. Great thing was that by the time we got him out he had cleared his own airway. Well this Sunday changed all of that...

In the morning we were having pancakes and Carter wanted some. So I gave him a small one without syrup for him to munch on. (He already had breakfast) Because of the above mentioned I always watch him like a hawk when he is eating. I looked over and he was frozen with tears coming down his face and turning dark red. I realized he was choking. I grabbed him out of his chair and had to do 5 back thrusts of the Heimlich to get the food dislodged and then get it out. He was so scared...so were me and his Daddy. But we remained calm and got him all calmed down. I was a mess. So later that night he is eating chicken at a local restaurant with us and my in-laws and it happens again. I get him out of his seat and by now his lips are blue. I pound on his back again and out it comes. It totally upsets my little man and all of the family. I hate that it happens.

So I tell these 2 stories to Dr. Herrmann today and he says, "That worries me that he is doing this". So we are in process of a work up. Today they sprayed numbing meds down Carter's nose and Scott and the nurse had to hold him still so Dr. Herrmann could look with a tube down Carter's nose, back of his throat, down to his voice box. He was looking for any reason why he has been choking. The results were his nasal passages are swollen so continue the meds for his snoring and expect that after he starts mother's morning out in the fall that it will get worse. Great(insert sarcastic face). He also said that his adenoids are 50%enlarged and his tonsils are moderately enlarged. His voice box is still getting to where it should be. So with all of that he said he doesn't really think that surgery would fix the choking problem. He wants us to do a swallow study. So in the near future, we will go to outpatient radiology at Scottish Rite and have a swallow study done.

I will keep everyone posted on that. Please say a few prayers that Carter doesn't have anymore choking incidents. It really scares me so bad.

On a good note I'm attaching a few pics for your enjoyment! Look at how he is growing so fast! I just love him!!!

Growing so fast...

So to update...we bought Carter his first tricycle. We were at our Godson's birthday party and he had a Batman tricycle that Carter loved. So of course we went and bought a new Disney the Cars tricycle of which he can't even reach the pedals yet! What were we thinking! Anyway, he loves to push all of the buttons and enjoys all of the sounds! We also scored a great little kitchen set with a ton of pieces for $35 on Craig's list! He is loving it! He likes to cook eggs...he is soooo much like his Daddy in so many ways!!!

He has learned to say the word "NO" and uses it correctly. Great...what everyone has warned us about. "Just wait until he learns the word No. You'll be so sick of hearing it", yes folks, I'm already tired of hearing it!! But atleast for now, it is only to tell us if he doesn't like or want something. It isn't in response to us telling him to do something! Notice I set for now!!! I know it's coming!

Carter is so funny. He knows what so many words mean but yet he is hardly saying any understandable words at all. But he completely knows what we are saying to him! I know he'll get it soon! He is a great little helper around the house! He gives Diamond her treat every morning and night and helps to feed her. He also helps us do his laundry. Now I know you are thinking he is 20 months...she is crazy. But he prefers to push the basket to the laundry room from his room, hand you his clothes to load in the washer, and likes to put them in the dryer when they are done. When they are dry he then puts away his own socks and bibs and then putss the basket back in his closet! Too cute! I hope it stays this fun as he gets older! He also loves to help sweep the kitchen floor! He MUST help you change the trash bag and put a new one in it! Everynight he cleans up all of his toys in the play room and puts them all exactly where they go! And boy does he get upset if something is in the wrong place! NOW THAT LADIES AND GENTLEMAN HE FINALLY GOT FROM HIS MAMA!!!! And I looooove that he has a little OCD from me!!! He also likes to get his own bib for all meals and throw away all diapers! I love this stage of wanting to help so much! I just let him do it all!

He is so smart too. About 4 weeks ago he started pointing to objects in a book when I ask him to show me which was which! We showed this to his Mimi and Poppi and they were quit impressed tonight! What grandparents aren't proud of their perfect grandchildren!

Alright this is getting long. I always think to post when he does some of this cuteness and always forget so there you go! A little update on my littleman!

Love,
Scott and Crystal

My Dream Come True...

My littleman drinking from a sippy cup,

watching my love share a snack on the couch with our childhaving a little boy that lines up his cars and makes the "vroom" sound while driving around the living room floor,

watching three generations play together,

seeing my Mom snuggle with another child like she did me,

(Mom doesn't snuggle other children)

watching my Daddy put shoes on his little buddy,

and coming in the door from work and going straight to playing on the floor!

These are all of the things I used to dream about and pray for while we were trying for 6 long years to have our perfect little man! Many women dream about holding there little baby and how fun little babies are. Scott and I used to talk about our dreams of having a child...a little person that is a part of the family! A little person who we could talk to and play with. I wanted Scott to be able to have a little buddy to share night time snacks with! We wanted to have our own little family so bad. When Carter was born it was instant love that ony another Mother understands. I have enjoyed every moment and am so thankful for my little family. After capturing these few moments in the above pics in the last month I realized...our dream has come true! All of the pics are just exactly what we always wanted! I'm so happy and proud to be Carter's Mommy and Scott's wife! I am so blessed for all that we have been given. Thank you Lord for answered prayers and the BEST gift from God!

I hope you all have a safe and wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Remember those who have fallen for our freedom.

Love,

Crystal

Annual Beach Trip for Mother's Day

So when Carter was born we decided to make an annual trip to Destin Florida. We started out own family tradition. So for all of my Mother's Days (both of them) we have been on the most beautiful beach!

This year we thought we would be smart and wake up early and leave around 3:30am so Carter could sleep most of the trip and it would not be so hard on him. BIG mistake...we were so quiet and got him out of his bed and placed in his carseat so carfully! Then we were out of the driveway quickly. Well it didn't matter because guess who stayed awake until 5am. Well when he and his Daddy passed out (b/c Scott had been at work until 3am) I thought "Great I can really jam to the radio and drive in the quiet". Well a short 25 minutes Littleman woke up and was awake for the rest of the drive. He did so well though. We stopped and let him run around for about 20 minutes and hit the rode again!

When we got there we met my parents at the wonderful house we had rented. THey had already been grocery shopping so we were ready to enjoy the pool in our backyard and the beach! And boy did we! Carter didn't really care for the hot tub or slightly heated pool too much! He enjoyed climbing the stairs at the house the most! Then we took him out to the beach and he was sooooo happy! So happy in fact that when I picked him up to take him to the house to get ready for dinner we pitched a toddler size fit! So for the rest of the trip we took him after nap so he could play until it got chilly on the beach which meant it was dinner time! He loved playing in the sand! He didn't mind the ocean but was perfectly happy playing in the sand all day! I did learn something new about myself...I can't build a sandcastle to save my life!!! It sprinkled a little one morning so we took that time to go do some shopping! The next day the morning was a bit cooler so we opted for the race car track that had a small area for wee ones! It was Mother's Day morning so it was not very busy. It was like we had the place to ourselves. They were the first "rides" Carter has ever been on! He really enjoyed the swings, train, and spinning tops! We had such a great relaxing time! I wish we could have stayed a bit longer! I look forward to many more beach trips in the future!

Love,

Carter's Mommy