14 months old

This is it, Carter.  

Your GOLDEN birthday.

14 months old on the 14th of the month.

In 2014, no less!

Mommy took your pictures without her

usual assistant this morning (Daddy was on a call), 

but you were surprisingly cooperative.

It took some minor bribes to keep you in the room, 

like letting you hold your hairbrush, 

then your sunglasses, 

and later your baby doll.  

I tried telling you to go sit on the chair and kick your feet 

and you actually listened!

 

 

You have been such a fun little guy this past month.  

You've learned lots of "tricks" and you soak up new information like a sponge.

You love to read.  Mommy and Daddy read to you, but you also spend a lot of time looking at books by yourself.  When Mommy needs to redirect you from something you shouldn't do, I just say, "Why don't you go find a book?" and you are off to your bookshelf and happily reading within seconds.  Many a tantrum has been avoided by your love of books.

You also LOVE to be taught the names of objects and then quizzed over and over again.  You know all the animals in your Noah's ark and all the objects and characters in most of your picture books.  You also know where most of your (and Mommy's) body parts are and you recently learned the names of all the fruits in your new fruit basket toy.  You don't say many words yet, but when we ask where something is, you almost always pick up or point to the right thing.  

 

You are signing more and more.  Your sign language vocabulary includes words like "more", "help", "Mommy", "drink" and "book".  You also speak the words "Mama" and "Dada", "Go?" and "Woof-woof".  You have another word for our dog, but we can't make it out.  It's very loud and shrill (unlike any other word you say), it starts with a "D" and it's always the same.

  

You love animals.  You go absolutely berserk every time you see one, whether it's on a walk, in a book, on television or at someone's garage sale.  You love to know what sound each animal makes and you try to imitate some of them.  Your favorite animal to imitate is a rabbit.  You have a book that says that rabbits "sniff", so every time you see one, you scrunch up your face and start blowing in and out of your nose as loudly as you can.  It's adorable.

 

You stopped playing with your baby doll for a while, but recently you have been loving on her every day.  I often walk into the playroom and find you hugging and kissing her.  I hope you act just as sweet toward your sister when she gets here!

  

At nap times and bedtime, you still like to nurse until you are tired and then after Mommy puts you in your crib, you lie there kicking your little feet and sweetly sing yourself to sleep.  Mommy and Daddy watch you on the monitor and think it's the cutest thing ever.

You are eating like a champ.  The only things we've ever found that you don't enjoy are plain yogurt and watermelon.  Other people can't believe all the healthy foods you eat.  You love peas, carrots, corn, green beans, sweet potato, squash, zucchini, spinach, black beans, whole wheat pasta & bread, every kind of fruit and much much more.  You want to try everything Daddy and I are eating and you love everything, even spicy Mexican rice, guacamole, and other "adult" foods.

 

You are walking like an old pro these days and have started trying to walk backwards, stomp your feet like you're marching and I've even seen you run a few times, usually when you have something you think I'm going to take away.  You're better barefoot, but you walk fine in shoes now, you just look a little wobbly.

The biggest physical change in this past month is that you finally have some teeth!  Six, actually.  Four on top and you just got the bottom ones last week.  Considering the fact that on your 13-month birthday you had NO teeth, six teeth is a lot!  We've worried about teething since you were 4 months old, but honestly if we hadn't seen the teeth poking through your gums, we wouldn't even have known you were teething.  You have been a trooper - no complaining at all!

We are so lucky to have such a happy little boy.

You are silly, too.  

You crack us up all the time.

I thought this pose was hilarious.  Daddy couldn't believe I posted it.

 We love you, Little Man!

Happy Golden Birthday!

Summer Fun

After being mostly at home (with a newborn) last summer, 

it's nice to be able to get out more this year.

As I attempt to live "in the moment" and just enjoy our time with Carter, 
I've made an effort to leave my camera at home lately.  
I have managed to capture a few cell phone pictures, though.

The last week in July, Carter and I joined Michael on a trip to Washington DC 
where he was attending a seminar/training for work.

Our hotel had a pool, so Carter got to go swimming for the first time.

It's hard to tell from the pictures, but he loved it!

We spent a lot of time in the hotel room while Michael was gone.  
Carter was constantly asking, "Where Daddy Go?"  
Actually he just says, "Daddy? ... Go?" 
Always with this gesture:

Lunch in the hotel room - without Daddy. 

Part of Michael's training included a visit to a battlefield near DC.  
He came back to the hotel with a bunch of souvenirs for Carter, 
including this Union Soldier Hat.

 It was a little big, even for Carter's giant head.

 

All in all it was a good first road trip with Carter.
We had a total of less than 15 minutes of crying during the whole trip,
which included about 7 1/2 hours each way in the dreaded carseat.
I call that a major success!

Carter is pretty obsessed with lawnmowers this summer.  
Anytime we pass one on our walks, he nearly falls out of the stroller,
straining to keep watching it long after we've passed.
So of course he wants to "help" Michael mow our lawn 
any chance he gets!

"Inspector Carter" checking out his mower before getting started.

At one point he opted to ditch the mower, thinking he could keep up better without it.

It became an adorable game of "Follow the Leader" all around the backyard!

Here's a video of my boys in action.

I love how Carter mows his own path.
And his wipeout around the 0:35 mark is pretty adorable, too.

This weekend we stopped at my Aunt Bonnie's ice cream shop

and Carter had a blast climbing up and down the "grass bench"

that my Uncle Joe built a few years ago. 

King of the Mountain - he was so proud of himself!

Chatting with Aunt Bonnie atop the summit.

Calling for Daddy to come up and join him.

Where did he go?

Of course no trip to the ice cream shop would be complete

without a baby cone for Carter.

 

The kid definitely inherited a sweet tooth.

I have a weakness for ice cream, as does Michael, 

so it's a good thing Aunt Bonnie's isn't any closer!

Thanks, Bon, for the yummy treats!