One Quick Thing

There will eventually be a post about all of the pre-Christmas and Christmas fun we have been having lately, but in the meantime, you should head over to http://scwphotography.blogspot.com/ to see a few of Carson's one-year pictures :) 

Birthday Fun, Part Two

So the weekend after Carson's birthday, we had a shindig for her.  She won't remember it, and it was more our friends than hers, BUT everyone was there to celebrate her and she definitely had a great time.  I know Brandon and I won't forget it, and we really appreciate everyone who came, helped, and celebrated with us.

We have a ton of thank-you's to send out, and I'm sure I'll forget a few, but the party just wouldn't have happened without everybody chipping in, so here goes....

Thank you to....

...my mom for taking Friday off of work and spending the night here to help out with everything.  She was 'on call' from the moment she arrived until the party was over.  She stayed up late helping me make the candy favors (which we then forgot to put out the next day :)  ).  She got up early on Saturday to get started on more tasks.  And she kept an eye on the food throughout the party, so that I was able to enjoy every moment with my daughter, our family, and friends.  Thank you Mom!

...my dad for coming over after work on Friday, staying late, driving home to take care of the dog, and then coming right back on Saturday morning to continue taking orders from Brandon.  He vacuumed like a champ, hung lights like a pro, and knew enough to stay out of the way when I got a little "intense"  :)

...Brandon's mom for coming before the party on Saturday, despite her car issues.  Thank you most of all for the clean-up effort afterward.  I can't tell you how incredible it was not to have to clear dishes, clean pots & pans, load and unload the dishwasher, store leftovers, and trash the trash after everyone had left (or, let's be honest, it probably would have been Sunday morning). 

...my sister Anna for coming early on Saturday, despite work, projects, and being a college student in general (I know that can make rising before noon tricky on a Saturday).  Her steady hand was a huge help on the cake, and she helped out wherever it was needed all day long.

...Corey for taking the video of Carson's first cake experience.  We thought it was fitting, since he filmed our wedding that he videotape our daughter's first birthday.  We truly appreciate you capturing our most priceless moments and tolerating our last-minute requests!

...Meg for snapping all the pics of Carson eating (or more like poking and pinching and gently touching) her cake. I sprung it on her right before go-time, and she was able to get all of Carson's facial expressions--the confusion, the excitement, the realization that icing is full of sugar.....thank you for doing such a great job with such important memories :)
...all our friends who didn't follow directions and brought gifts anyway (please know thank-you notes are in the works).  Carson's head nearly explodes every morning when she sees all the fun stuff she gets to play with that day.  Thank you especially to those friends who got us noisy toys--we can't wait to return the favor with your own children!
...Carson's aunts, uncles, and cousins who stayed late to spend some quality time with the birthday girl--Brandon and I will always remember that evening.

...most importantly, EVERYONE who came to the party--we were amazed that so many people made time in their busy holiday schedules to come over and wish our girl a happy birthday. We are infinitely blessed by your generosity and love--and how much you care for our daughter.

Here's the birthday girl, playing with some toys before everyone arrived:

Lots of people, kids, toys, chaos!

Carson's smash cake (which was really banana bread made with soy ingredients and egg replacer.  Yumm, delicious....but the icing was real!) and the cake everyone else got to eat.  Until I made this, I never thought about how the icing had to be made, then dyed, then piped onto the cake using various decorating tips, bags, couplers, etc. I have a whole new appreciation for all confections now.

 

 Waiting for the cake

Enjoying the cake

And scene.

And here's a slideshow of pictures from the day

Birthday Fun, Part One

I'm a little late in posting about Carson's actual birth day and party, but she has been super-sick lately, so pretty much everything got put on hold.  We believe she is currently on the mend.

On Carson's actual birthday, Brandon and I took her to the Atlanta Zoo.  Like many one-year-olds (it still feels weird to say that), Carson loves animals, the sounds they make, and anything new she can learn about them.  We wanted to take her to do or see something she hadn't before, so the zoo seemed like a perfect fit.  It was quite cold on December 1, but we bundled her up and gave it a shot and were so glad we did.  The zoo was practically abandoned.  I think there was only one time we were at an exhibit at the same time as someone else, so Carson got to see lots of close-up, undisturbed views of the animals, and we didn't feel rushed to get out of the way.

Unfortunately, the train and carousel weren't running, due to the cold weather--and none of the monkeys were out, which was disappointing since they are her absolute favorite animals.  However, we had a GREAT time watching Carson get excited about everything else and seeing her make connections between the live animals and what she had seen in pictures. 

Here are her top 5 animals she got to see, judging by wiggling, pointing, and leaning out of the stroller upon seeing them:

1. Lion--Carson has roared since she realized she had a voice, and granted, she roared at pretty much every animal we saw, but she got super-excited about seeing an actual lion.

2. Goats--because they let her touch them.  Do you think they drug those animals in the petting zoo???

3. Meerkats/otters--tied for 3rd place.  They were both quick-moving and entertaining.  Here's my favorite meerkat:

4. Panda

5. Elephant

We're so excited about the memories we got to make together as a family on Carson's first birthday.  We couldn't have asked for better company!
Here's a slideshow of the afternoon:

Happy First Birthday Carson!

To me, birthdays are a chance to celebrate the person whose special day it is.  While presents and parties are often involved, I also try to reflect on the gift that that person actually is in my life and in our world.  Today is my first chance to celebrate my daughter on her birthday, and I am overwhelmed by all the ways I am grateful for her, affected by her, and proud to call her my child.

In fact, I'm not really going to try to put it into words, because I feel certain I could not find enough to do her justice--or the correct ones to accurately express the emotions I feel about her.

Instead, here are a few of Brandon's and my favorite moments from the past 12 months, followed by a video of her entire first year. 
Well, not really all of it.  But I was hoping, maybe if you thought it was an entire year long, you wouldn't be as upset when you found out it lasted 9 minutes.

Okay, some of our favorite things about Carson and her life so far:

1. A year ago, Brandon and I woke up at God-knows-what-hour in the morning to get to the hospital for my c-section, only to realize our parents and my sister Anna had arrived before us.  I chuckle a little every time I think about a waiting room full of people--waiting for someone who hasn't even arrived at the hospital yet :)  We're incredibly blessed to have family so supportive and excited for us!

2. We'll always remember the first time Carson smiled at us--it was Brandon's birthday, and she was lying on her changing table...which would soon become one of her favorite spots in the world, where she would always smile and laugh.

3. From the beginning, Carson has made all kinds of grunts, squeaks, and toots A LOT.  She still does quite often, and her repertoire now includes roaring, sniffing, and chuckling (huh-huh).  We love them all.  Except whining.

4. One of my favorite memories is of Carson learning the sign for "more".  I'm not sure if she or I was more proud, as she realized she had the ability to communicate.  What an amazing power, to be able to share something from inside her head with another person!

5. Her first steps. Enough said.

6. One of Brandon's favorites is when we tickle her and she laughs that uncontrollable, full-body giggle of pure joy.

7. We love that she loves being outside.  Naming new objects, chasing squirrels around the cul-de-sac, stepping up and down curbs--as long as we're outdoors, she's entertained.

8. She has certain parts of her books that she loves.  Lately, as soon as we begin reading a book, she rushes through the pages, flipping as fast as she can, to get to her favorite parts--and then keeps turning back to them as we continue reading.  Watching her develop preferences and her own desires has been fascinating.

9. Carson always tries to make us laugh.  She "tickles" us every chance she gets and is keenly aware of when something she has done amuses us--and then she does it again and again.

And here is the video. Nine minutes of your life you can never get back, but if you're reading this blog, the subject matter should hopefully keep you entertained.

I can't believe the peanut-looking mass of cells we first saw her as became the precious little girl we get to play with and learn from each day.  Happy birthday, Carson.  You are an infinite blessing!

Carson's First Thanksgiving

Because Carson turns one this week (?!?!?!), Thanksgiving was the last major holiday "first" she had left to experience.  Because our families are so awesome, we had 2 Thanksgivings (that's right, I made it plural).

First, we went to my parents' house and hung out for the evening. 

Here, Carson came up with her first grandparent nickname by pronouncing "Grandpa" as "Poo-tah".  My dad was so excited, I think she could have just called him Poo and he would have loved it.  There was lots of playing, lots of relaxing, and of course, lots of eating.  Here's what my mom whipped up for us:

-breaded fish that was oh-so crunchy and delicious
-green beans that had more flavor than any I've ever tasted
-the cheesiest mac & cheese this side of the Mississippi
-marinated roasted tomatoes that I now want to put on everything I eat

Then Wednesday, we left for South Carolina to spend Thanksgiving day with Brandon's family.  We have come to expect a few things when staying at Giddy and Grandad's:

-football (or tennis or golf, depending on the time of year)--regardless, there will always be sports on the television
-food--dips, snacks, roasts, bacon, eggs...--and plenty of it!

-dogs--everywhere, all the time--in and out of the back door, following Giddy from room to room hoping for (and always getting) a bite of whatever she's eating, herding Carson, napping in the corner.  It seriously feels like Wild Kingdom sometimes.  Carson loved that they have two smaller dogs that seemed just her size.

-naps--there always seems to be time for naps when we're there, even though we can't usually find time for them at home

Giddy and Aunt Peggy put together lots of great meals while we were there and always put some aside for Carson that accommodated her growing list of food allergies (dairy, eggs, and tuna so far, if you're keeping track).

Carson also made a new friend named Sara Jace, who is the daughter of one of Gram's best friends, Tyler.  Isn't she too stinking cute??? 

Carson was generally sweet to her, especially at first (before she realized Sara Jace would want to play with her toys).  She walked up and patted her gently on the back like she was a little baby.

So now we're home, a few pounds heavier and much more relaxed than when we left.  Thank you to everyone for making Carson's first Thanksgiving a great one! 

What Carson Has Been Up To

It has been awhile since I've just written about what Carson does in her day-to-day life.  She is developing and growing and learning constantly!  Here's what's new in the world of Carson Bean:

1. Talking--she has picked up several new words, and it's easy to tell that she enjoys being able to communicate more clearly with us, even if it's just to point out a dog in a magazine.
Here are some words she says & how she says them:

This=dis
That=dat
Doggy=doddy
Monkey=doddy
Uh-oh=ah-eee
Fish=tss
Cheese=chchch (think of a kid with a retainer)
Tickle=ttshss
Sock=(always whispered) sah-sah-sah
Kick=kkkk (sort of like clearing her throat)
Hi=Hhhaaaiiiii (very drawn-out and silly)
All done=aaaahhhh daaaaah
Ball=ba

2. Finger Foods--Carson is eating almost entirely finger-foods now, although she still enjoys lots of yogurt and the occasional bowl of rice cereal.  She is picky in a weird way--she'll love a food one day and despise it the next.  It's *really* fun to try to pack her food for Jana's, since I never know what she's going to feel like consuming.

3. Running--she can pretty much run from place to place now.  Of course, her sprints often end in a tumble, but she gets right back up and keeps on trucking.

4. Getting Every Tooth She Will Ever Have--at least, it seems that way.  She has 4 top, 4 bottom, and a molar or two has popped through, while some other molars are hanging just below the surface of her swollen little gums. I feel like I birthed a piranha.

5. Snot--Carson and Lila have invented a new game called "pass the cold."  Jana and I are forever trying to guess if each round of congestion is a new virus or simply the one the other child had last week.  Lord only knows where they're getting all these germs (well, they're toddlers, so I guess we probably know too).  Bottom line--I feel like C has a perpetually snotty nose, and I'm kind of ready for it to stop.

6. Practicing for the US Women's Soccer Team, 2032--I can't tell you how proud Brandon is that she started kicking things around on the den floor recently.  She has these plastic fruits Gram gave her, and one day, she just decided kicking the apple around would be fun.  Since then, she has been hard-core training (not really) with every ball in sight.  Here's a video of her kicking (and sometimes I think she's trying to grab the ball but her feet just get to it first).  I love how, when Brandon walks in, she gets so excited to show him.
And you know I have to make a disclaimer:  although we really like our camera, which takes excellent pictures and also takes video, I really wish we had known the video camera part doesn't auto-focus.  You have to manually focus it, which I am still learning to do smoothly.  Obviously.  In this video, I am attempting to hold the camera, zoom, manually focus, keep the dogs away, and enjoy the moment--and I accomplished almost NONE of that successfully.  Seriously. Take some Dramamine if you get motion sick.
Enjoy!

Why I Love Fall

Autumn has pretty much always been my favorite season (although winter and I had a brief fling awhile back).  There are so many things to love about fall, which I'm sure you all know, but I thought I'd share some of my personal favorites.

1. Relief from the heat.  Living in Georgia, the summers can be brutal, and as fall sets in, there is this heavenly feeling. And my favorite day of the year is the first day you step outside and smell fall in the cool, crisp air.  The nights start to get colder, the sun during the day is a bit more forgiving, the humidity starts to let up. I actually start going outside on purpose, when I don't even have to, and Carson has really loved this change.  We've been going out every day to play in the driveway or cul-de-sac.  She loves to follow squirrels around from yard to yard as they avoid her, and she gets sincerely upset when I won't go into our neighbors' garages or backyards or trees to continue the chase.  She also enjoys picking up rocks (and trying to sneak them in her mouth), playing with sticks (which she calls, "tsss"), and pointing at stuff, asking me to name it.

2. Fall festivals.  I love when the weather is just perfect--you don't get too hot standing in the sun, nor too cold in the shade--and there's interesting new things to wander around and look at (and eat).  We went to the Norcross Arts Festival several weeks ago and had an amazing time.  There were so many talented artists and lots to keep Carson visually entertained.  Funnel cakes, hot dogs, live music, friendly people, dogs walking around with their owners--what's not to love?  Carson had such a blast, and Brandon and I did too.  We even bid in a silent auction and got her a little hand-painted chair for her birthday, made by a student at one of the local schools.  Please don't tell her--it's a surprise.  Here are a few pics of the fun:



3. The pumpkin patch.  This was one of those fun things we got to do together as a family with Toby, Angie, and Cousins Patrick and Maddy.  It was a gorgeous day, and we enjoyed seeing the cousins explore the pumpkin patch together.  Patrick is such a good big brother, and Maddy was so laid-back.  Days like this make me thankful and excited for the years we have ahead, all of them being friends.  Carson's favorite part was this little squash she found.  We have about 53 pictures of her showing it to different people (all strangers).  She was so proud of it.  We tried really hard to get a good pic of all 3 cousins, but it just didn't work out like we wanted.  Instead, we have a bunch of funny "out-takes," which we love too.  Carson also enjoyed getting to see a real live goat, sheep, pig, and cow--none of whom seemed very impressed with her.  Here's a slideshow of the day:



4. Brandon is home more. As pools close and the temperature decreases, Brandon is able to spend more time with us in the fall. This means we start getting some real family time to just hang out at the house, go for walks, run errands together, or do fun things like go to fall festivals. Special bonus: I have a sitter for when I need to get my hair cut, want to grocery shop baby-free, or meet up with my girlfriends for dinner. We even got to go on a cool date night this weekend to a fundraiser for the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation of America. We had a really great time, met some new people, and even won the big raffle at the end of the night!

5. Christmas is coming.  Now that Halloween is over, I can sing Christmas carols out loud, not just in my head, and people don't think I'm a total nutcase (at least not for that reason, anyway).  I start getting excited about the next Christmas right around New Year's, so it's thrilling to me when the rest of the world gets on board this time of year. I can't wait to see how Carson reacts to it all--the tree, Santa, lights in the yard....it's going to be so much fun!

Halloween Weekend

So I'm working on a post about what we have generally been up to lately, but I wanted to put up the pictures and list from Carson's first Halloween.

Day 1--Saturday
The day before Halloween, I worked Saturday school in the morning while Brandon & Carson had some quality time before his big trip to Vegas this week.  When I got home, we ran some errands together, including picking out our pumpkin.

No, not that one.  This one.

Carson really enjoyed watching Brandon scrape out all the seeds and gook.  We enjoyed watching her curiosity.

 I love her face in this one.

Carson supervised Brandon's cutting, just to be sure he did it correctly (wonder where she got that habit...)

 And here's the finished product!

Confession:  All these pictures are before Carson suffered a massive head wound, which you will see in later pictures.  While playing in the driveway, she started to stumble. I saw the fall coming, so I grabbed her by the waist to prevent it.  My plan backfired, and she actually spun forward onto her eye/face, rather than back onto her butt.  After we had all recovered, we accepted that things like this are just bound to happen.  She has been fairly mobile for 4 months or so now (pulling up, etc), and this is her first injury that caused actual bloodflow, so I guess that's not such a bad record.

Anyway, back to the fun.

Saturday night, we went to a Halloween party at the Gunters' house (thrown by Kace's sister Jenna), which was a blast.  They and their friends are some of the craftiest people I know, and they always throw the best theme parties.  Their costumes are always handmade, elaborate, and impressive. Their parties are always decorated, coordinated, and delicious.  We forgot our camera, but it was lots of fun.  Trust me.


Day 2--Sunday
Carson woke up Sunday morning with a croup-sounding cough and general bad attitude.  Can't blame her--she didn't feel well and probably still had a headache from her face-plant the day before.  We had been planning to go over to Toby and Angie's house that afternoon so Carson could do the Halloween thing with her cousins, but we didn't want to risk getting Patrick and Maddy sick, so we hung at our place.  We spent most of the day getting Brandon ready for his trip and just hanging out.

The real fun began in the late afternoon, when we started getting Carson and Kaila dressed. 

Yes, Kaila. 

Carson was Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween, and we made Kaila dress as the wolf who dressed as the grandmother from the story.  She really was a good sport about the whole thing.

What big eyes you have!

After Carson's first photo session, we headed outside to take a few more. 

Our neighbors saw us outside and started coming out to share some candy with her (which really meant Brandon & I started collecting candy, since Carson can't eat it :) Score!)  They were so sweet, and Carson thoroughly enjoyed sorting through their bowls of candy, making piles, putting it in her basket and then putting it back, etc.

We ended up just staying out in the cul-de-sac as trick-or-treaters arrived, chatting and passing out candy.  It really was a great time--mellow and close to home, which is just what our sick girl needed--and Carson enjoyed looking at the other costumes and meeting new people.

Finally, it was dinnertime, and we headed inside for some food and rest. She crashed hard and fast on Halloween night.  Being so cute has GOT to be exhausting!

And here's a slideshow with all the pics!

A Country Wedding

A few weekends ago, we loaded up the car and headed on an adventure to Mississippi.  Brandon's cousin Chad was getting married to his long-time and lovely girlfriend Courtney, and Brandon was in the wedding.

We left Thursday morning and headed first to Mobil, Alabama, to visit one of Brandon's best friends and his family.  Jason is the kind of friend you bond with, get into trouble with, and stay friends with your whole life.  He's the kind of friend your parents are glad you have, because they're so true--but are also afraid you have, because every late-night phone call that begins with, "Mom, everything's okay, BUT...." happens when you're with him. 

He and his wife just had their second adorable child Nate, whose older brother Owen is just as cute.  Of course, I have no photographic evidence of this, because we forgot to take pictures the entire time we were at their house!  Carson made herself right at home and toddled around, playing with their toys.  They took us to a great barbeque place nearby called The Shed, a chain that has been featured on both the Travel channel and Food Network.  It was some of the best bbq we've had and had a great family-friendly atmosphere.

Friday, we departed for Mississippi--about a 3-hour drive from Jason's house.  To help you get an idea of the setting of the wedding, the nearest hotel to the church was about an hour away.  We were definitely in the country. 

Chad and Courtney have been together for a decade already and are the kind of couple you just know belongs together.  They're laid-back, generous, thoughtful, and easy to be around.  After meeting all of their extended families, it's clear why they are the way they are. 

Because they've been together for so long, it's safe to say Courtney had thought just a little bit about the wedding.  She jokes that she started out with a "hope chest" where she put things to be used for her wedding and married life, and it grew into a "hope room" at her parents' house, after so much time to add to it.  But all that planning and dreaming paid off big-time, because this was the sweetest wedding I have ever attended.

Friday night was the rehearsal, so after we checked into the hotel, put C down for a nap, and changed, we headed to the church.  It was just what I'd hoped it would be--a small one-room church with a fellowship hall next door, filled to the brim with friends and family.

After the rehearsal, we headed next door for a catfish fry, which was perfectly decorated for the occasion and mood.  There were fried catfish, hush puppies, french fries, and cole slaw.  Anyone who didn't know you would just come up and introduce themselves, explain how they were related to the couple, and ask how you were doing.  It was such a friendly and welcoming atmosphere.

The next day, we spent some time at the hotel, Brandon left before lunch for pictures, and C and I ate at Cracker Barrel with Gram, Poppy, and Giddy.  Then it was back to the hotel to get C a quick nap and then get ourselves ready for the ceremony--a task I almost accomplished well.  I should mention that Carson was basically perfection on this trip.  She handled the extensive car rides without complaining and was sweet to all the new people she met.  She only had two meltdowns, both of which happened at the hotel--which is infinitely better than having one at the wedding or around all her new friends.  One of those meltdowns happened after she was dressed for the wedding but before I was finished getting all our bags ready.  Here, I was trying to get a picture of her all dressed up. She didn't appreciate it. 

And here's how the 10 minutes or so before we left went:

1. ask Gram to come give C a bottle while I pack up the car
2. walk and feed with Gram and a crying Carson, because Gram also had to help Giddy finish getting ready downstairs
3. realize a monsoon has begun outside--and my car is parked in the farthest possible parking place at the hotel 
4. total chaos ensues, as there is a screaming baby, confusion about who's riding where and when and with whom, and last-minute adjustments to the master plan in order to get everyone into their vehicles, preferably not soaking wet
5. Poppy drives me to our car so I can load the bags--after which you could literally have rung out my hair and dress
6. re-enter the hotel to hear Carson SCREAMING from down the hall
7. load up the passengers--C, Giddy, and Grandad with me; Paula with Tommy
8. roll out, hoping to make the wedding on time but not looking promising

But we made it, with 10 minutes to spare before the wedding started, although since Giddy and Grandad were part of the procession, everyone at the church was getting pretty nervous.

We were also fairly stressed about the reception, which was supposed to be outside.  We were just sure the monsoon would eventually head that direction.  People were checking their phones for the radar reports, and there were showers all around our area.  We figured it was only a matter of time before the reception was cancelled/cut short by storms.

In the meantime though, we had a wedding!  It was beautiful.  Brandon did a great job and looked quite handsome in his tuxedo. Carson thought it was a little odd for him to be standing up front rather than sitting with us, but mostly she just played in the pew.

Courtney was gorgeous--her dress was amazing, and she just glowed with joy and excitement.  Chad was so handsome and happy and ready for the day they waited so long to have.  The ceremony was beautiful, filled with smiles, tears, and love.

Afterward, we headed to the reception, which should have been featured in Southern Living magazine.  Amazingly, the storms held off and merely provided some clouds to keep us cool and a breeze strong enough to keep the bugs away.  There were countless precious details that made the reception feel so warm and perfect.  Here are a few of my favorites:

mason jars with candles hanging in the trees

a little kids area under a tree, with small tables & chairs, goody bags, and hay bales to sit on

cute little scenes with antique furniture 

a bookshelf filled with pics of Chad and Court

There was great food, lots of dancing, and general hanging out and catching up with friends and family we don't get to see very often.

Sunday morning, we got up bright and early and headed home--and then didn't put Carson into a car for about a week, after all the driving she endured so pleasantly over the weekend :)

Congratulations, Chad and Courtney!  We love you and thank you for having us at your beautiful event!  We look forward to our families growing together over the years.

Without Dogs...

Brandon took the dogs with him overnight Friday night, while he drove his mom to her parents' house to recover from knee surgery.  I have been literally amazed by how much time and energy not having dogs around the house has saved me!

Here are a few things I have NOT had to do in the last 24 hours:

1. say, "lay down" every 3-5 seconds
2. corral Carson so she doesn't accidentally surprise a sleeping wolf
3. let the dogs out
4. let the dogs in shortly thereafter to keep them from barking incessantly at the neighbor's dogs
5. refill the water bowl--I seriously think our dogs have some sort of disease that requires them to drink vast amounts of water.  They drink over a gallon a day.
6. think twice before getting up/moving/adjusting my position/getting things done around the house while Carson's sleeping--Moe was not here to jump up, run around, slide into a wall cartoon-style, then plop down hard every time I blink
7. put my glasses on when I got up to pee in the middle of the night, in order to avoid stepping on Kaila (or her crap)
8. put a laundry basket on top of my bed when I leave to keep the dogs from hanging out (or puking--yes, that happened once) there
9. put a gate up in the hallway door when I go to bed to keep the dogs from exploring the rest of the house all night, lounging on our couches, and eating everything in the kitchen
10. wake up repeatedly during the night due to the sound of clacking nails wandering the hardwood floors

If I didn't have my dogs, would I miss them?  Yes, eventually.  But 24 hours is just not enough time to do so!

Miss Independent

Carson's desire to be her own person and do things herself has been showing up here and there for awhile now: 
-There was the month or so she changed her mind about solid foods and decided they probably weren't for her. 
-And there's the way she shoves your hand away if you try to help her with something she'd rather figure out on her own...or lately if you try to take something she's not finished with yet.
-And now that she's eating again (in a much pickier fashion), she'd like to hold the spoon herself for every bite, regardless of the percentage of food that actually makes it into her mouth.

And now, there's walking.  Just a few days before she turned 9 months old, Carson took her first steps. We weren't even trying to get her to walk at the time. Brandon and I were just sitting on the floor in the den near the coffee table. C was standing between us, with me supporting her. I let go of her so she could stand on her own, which she loves to do. And suddenly, she was at the coffee table--3 steps in a row like it was nothing! Brandon and I looked at each other, trying to figure out if what we thought just happened really did--and then we cheered and hugged and basically scared the poor child half to death. She didn't walk again for about an hour, after recovering from the shock of our excitement.

She has been walking a little bit more each day since then and doesn't usually wait for us to prompt her.  In fact, she doesn't want any help at all.  Period.  If you reach out a hand to support her, she shoves it away impatiently.  Sometimes our only warning she's about to take off is this proud and daring look on her face, a big grin, and she shrugs her shoulders up and takes off! So fun to watch!  Last Thursday was the first day she walked more than she crawled, less than 3 weeks after those first few steps.  And now it's her preferred mode of transportation.

And now I (and by "I", I mean "Brandon" for most of these) have a new "to do" list:
1. anchor big furniture to walls

2. get a gate for den to keep dogs out

3. reconsider owning a wolf (a daily task at this point anyway)

4. do a much better job cleaning

5. figure out how to keep her from trying to move out at the age of 5

And here's a video of some of her walking adventures over these past few weeks:


A few side notes about this video:

Some of the clips were taken with cell phones, so please excuse the lack of focus.

Despite what it looks like, we don't just crumple up trash and leave it on our floors.  Carson loves to tear up magazines and other papers, and some days it's just not worth cleaning it up until after she goes to bed.

I got the super-long clip by setting up the video camera and just letting it run while we played one morning.  She has a 6th sense when she's being filmed, so I had to take advantage of her 'walking mood' when it hit her.  Therefore, please excuse our pajamas.

Yes, those are Brandon's socks she's toting around for some reason.

I'm not motioning to my imaginary friend--Moe is just outside the camera shot (I swear!) and I was working hard to keep him that way.

Congratulations, Carson!  We're so proud of you!

I Will Never Catch Up!

Carson has been doing so much new stuff lately, I'm not sure how I'll ever blog about it all.  It seems like there are long periods where not much new is going on with her, and then WHAM!  All of a sudden, she's this sponge, soaking up everything and putting it to use and I can barely keep up.  So mostly, I just sit back and watch her do these super-cool things.

It is amazing to me to feel like I am sitting there actually witnessing another human being discovering some of the fundamental truths we use daily for the rest of our lives.  Here's what I mean:

I get to watch her manipulate blocks or balls until she accidentally hits them together and realizes they make a sound.  Here, she's so proud of herself for holding both of them.

Then I gaze on, as she figures out how to hit them together repeatedly and make the same sound.  And finally, she starts picking up other objects and noticing how the sound changes as different objects are banged against one another.  She realizes that stuffed toys are boring in this activity and make no noise.  Then it occurs to her that objects with rattles inside make extra noise when they are whacked together.  For a few days, she went around hitting things like a maniac, testing everything she could pick up.

Another of my favorites was when she recently realized that everyone has the same body parts--ears (which she loves to look at on each side of your head), toes (her fave), tongue (my fave) 

She never gets tired of looking at these same body parts over and over again, solidifying their images and the concept of their presence on everyone in her little mind.

It is so engrossing and rewarding to me to watch her learn--I swear I am addicted to it.  Honestly, it's the main reason I teach:  that "light bulb" moment, when a student suddenly understands something important--not important to the curriculum (although that's cool too) but important to LIFE.  Maybe we're reading a book set in Vietnam, and they begin to understand ways the Vietnam War was similar to the war in Iraq.  Or they can make connections between the Holocaust and the Civil Rights movement--or even better, between the Holocaust and what's going on now with Muslims and Hispanics in America.  Then we get to talk about how we as individuals can make a difference before prejudice takes over, like it did in Germany.  I just can't get enough of it.  The human brain is amazing.  And having a front-row seat to one child's journey through every major discovery they will make--it's like crack to me (I realize I won't actually be present for every single thing she learns, but don't get picky).

C has also been getting more verbal lately.  She has started making a few more sounds and trying to control and use them.  Whining is one of them, which Brandon and I adore.  But what's really fun is she's trying to say actual words, many of which begin and end with "d."  Her repertoire of sounds lacks some of the subtle nuances of English phoentics...or all of them.  Whatever.  Her first non-dada word is "that" (pronounced "dat"), and she says it pretty often.  She points at things and says, "dat," usually seeming to want to know the word for them. So we spend a lot of our days lately naming objects, places, ideas, and her preferred topic of conversation--animals.  She tries to say dog (which sounds like the real word, only it ends in d instead of g) and at the doctor's office for her 9-month check-up (oh my GOSH how will I ever catch up on blogging???), they had a big fish tank, and she kept trying to say fish (which came out as "shhhhhh").  Too fun.

She has figured out that she can not only look through her mailbox toy to see what's behind it, but she can also stick her hand through to grab things on the other side.  She thinks this is hilarious, even though these pictures don't look like it!

She has also started generalizing ideas more.
I put a headband on her head yesterday, and she immediately pointed up at her hats, realizing they go on her head too.
Or we were looking at a picture book tonight, and when we got to the page with the dog on it, she said, "Dod," then looked and stared at Moe, then back at the picture, then at him again.  I am dying to know at what point their brain becomes able to see a picture of one dog and realize it's the same animal as a completely different color/shape/size dog.  Fascinating!
 
She plays "chase" with Brandon every day now.  She'll crawl around on the den floor, and then stop and turn to look at him with a big grin (or sometimes intentionally go somewhere she's not supposed to, like the TV stand), waiting for him to come get her.  Then she'll squeal with delight as he chases after her.

And while I'm just spitting out random information, here are her 9-mont stats:
Weight: 18.1 pounds
Length: 27 inches
Both are around the 30th percentile for her age.
 
There is so much more to post about:  the songs she "sings," learning about belly buttons from Lila, the fort, and one of her biggest recent achievements deserves a post of its own, so I'm working on it and will get it up asap.  But for now, I'm going to post this.  Because I'm sure by the morning, there will just be something else new to add to the list!