Handsome like Daddy

I happened to be changing Carter when Michael
got home from a meeting downtown this afternoon.

He doesn't usually wear suits now that he works from home,
so I couldn't pass up the rare opportunity to capture these images.

So in love with BOTH of the men in my life!

Linking up with Sunday Snapshot at Ni Hao Y'all.





Happy New Year!

2013 has been the greatest year of our lives,

thanks to the addition of this wonderful blessing!

Mike pretty much insisted that we get Carter

a hat and noisemaker for his first New Year's Eve.

Carter seemed to agree and loved

them while watching the ball drop.

We actually bought a pack of four in hopes of

getting to use ALL of them next year!

We're hoping to be blessed once more in 2014,

 praying hard that this will be the year

we are matched with our daughter

and travel to bring her home.

Linking up with Sunday Snapshot at Ni Hao Ya'll

and wishing you all God's blessings in this New Year!



Christmas 2013

Wow, what a fun first Christmas for our family!

Here are a few highlights from our week:

We had our first visit with Santa Claus.

Then after months of watching us eat,

Carter finally got to start solid foods!

We tried oatmeal first and Carter loved it.

Then Mommy made a huge batch of organic

butternut squash and he's been loving that even more!

Our first Christmas get-together was Carrie's extended

family gathering at Aunt Bonnie's house.

Carter loved visiting with his Great Grandma,

who turned 90 this summer.

4 Generations:  Great Grandma, Grandpa, Mommy and Carter 

Then we had our annual Christmas Eve dinner at Aunt Beth and Uncle Brad's house.

Mike's mom enjoyed having both of her grandsons together

and the boys learned a little bit about how to share Grandma.

Cousin Kai was even sweet enough to offer Carter a kiss!

Carter just loves his Grandma!

We waited a little too long to snap a family photo

and Carter had already started to melt down... 

After a good night's sleep, he felt much better.  Here he was,

just waking up on his very first Christmas morning.

He had slept between Mommy and Daddy all night and

when he began to stir, we sat him up and Daddy explained to him

that Santa had been here overnight.  Carter was still sleepy,

but Daddy was excited enough for both of them!

Once we started opening presents,

Carter got pretty into it.

Mike's parents came over for Christmas brunch

and Carter's Uncle Brad, Aunt Beth and Kai

stopped for a quick visit, too.

Later that afternoon,

Carter enjoyed playing with some of his new toys.

Then in the evening, Carrie's parents and Elisabeth

came over to exchange gifts.

Carter stayed up later than usual, but finally crashed

and gave Mommy a relatively Silent Night!

Yesterday we visited a "Winter Wonderland"

at a nearby nature preserve.



Carter was so proud of himself, sitting in

the playhouse like a big boy.



And he even got to go down the slide

(with Daddy's help, of course!).

Wheeeeee!!!!!

Then we visited the nature center and saw some

baby eagles that were as big as Carter!

Carter's very favorite thing this week has been

giving enormous hugs.

Really, really tight ones, complete with grunting.

Despite the associated hair-pulling,

Mommy just eats them up!

I'm also loving his open-mouth "kisses"

all over my face, including trying to chew on

my chin, nose, cheeks and even eyebrows!

Linking up with Sunday Snapshot at Ni Hao Y'all

 and hoping everyone else had an especially

blessed Christmas this year, too!



6 months old

How can it be that my baby boy is half a year old?!

I'm having mixed emotions about this milestone birthday.

I'm happy and excited for Carter as he is learning so much and having

more and more fun each day.  It's amazing to watch him grow.

But I am also sad, knowing that he will never again be my little baby.

He's about to start eating solids this week.  Real food that wasn't made by my body.

I've watched him thrive and grow all these months with no other nourishment but what he gets from me. 

Now that is going to change.  He's going to be getting food that anyone can give him. 

Part of me worries that he won't need me the way he does now. 

And another part of me is excited for him that he's becoming more independent. 

Like I said, my emotions are all over the place.

  

Carter pulled out all his tricks this month, making picture-taking interesting yet again.

In addition to his usual repertoire of cracking up and talking non-stop,

this month he added singing.

And tongue-clicking.

I thought in a few more months Carter might try climbing out of the chair,

but I was wrong.  Here he was contemplating:

And going for it:

Luckily Daddy was there to grab him before he took a nose dive

onto the hardwood floor!

Since he's halfway to one, I thought I'd post Carter's progression from one to six months. 

Still kicking myself for not getting a newborn shot!

Doesn't he look so much older just since last month?!

My heart is breaking.

Linking up with Sunday Snapshot at Ni Hao Y'all.