A little bit of this and that

We don't have anything major going on so I thought I would just post some random pictures from the last week. I've been really busy with work and trying to squeeze in play time and cleaning whenever I can. I also made two trips to the craft store this weekend because for some reason Fall=Crafts in my head, and not even actual fall crafts. I made an awesome wreath Saturday for the front door, I have a few sewing projects going on and some art and Christmas presents for Carson. The problem is that I find so many things I want to do that I can't just start and finish one at a time! I'll post some of the stuff I make as I go...

So, here are some of the things we did in the last week: (I realize I end up with a lot of highchair pictures because that is the only time he sits still!)

Pasta night......See-food!


Carson loves playing on the bench in our foyer. He can't quite get up on it himself, but sits on it and looks out the front windows.






Quick break on the floor? Okay.


All of a sudden he has decided that lunch belongs IN his hair. And I'm not talking just dirty hands in the hair. He puts whole handfuls of food up on his head. Sigh. This was after the chunks were gone, but the grease was not. His hair smelled horrible this day.


We have been going swimming one or two days every weekend at our fitness center. Carson loves the pool now. He is still not liking the daycare, but we started their anxiety program yesterday. You start with 15 minutes the first day and add 5 each day after that. You are supposed to go everyday until you work up to where you want so I need to make sure to go every day I can this week. I am going to after lunch today and then we have to run to the grocery store. I think this week will be a little less busy with work which is great. Luckily he woke up late because he was up during the night so his nap ran late.

Daddy ALWAYS gives him a pool mohawk.


These little fountains are his favorite. He smacks them and laughs while he splashes his own face.


Carl was ecstatic that his Bengals won again yesterday. Here are the two guys in their gear for football season this year.


Wow, that is really cute. :)


He's such a ham when he runs around with Mr. Lion.
And that's a pretty good Mr. Bengal impression!

Estes Park & RMNP

On Saturday we went up to Estes Park and Rocky Mtn. National Park for the day. Carl's little sister Christy and her fiance Andy came out to spend the long weekend with us. They wanted to go see some of the Colorado mountains during their visit.

Anytime you make the trip up to Estes Park you have to go to the Stanley Hotel. The Stanley is known for being the inspiration for Stephen King's story The Shining. It is 100 years old, has a long history of ghost sightings and just a really cool atmosphere. The original movie wasn't filmed there, but King bought back the rights to the story and made a mini-series in the late 90s which was filmed at the Stanley.


The day before we went I spotted a monkey harness for Carson at Walmart for $9. I thought it was totally worth trying out for that price.
The problem was the leash hooked at the bottom and the straps couldn't go any tighter.
It kept tipping him over anytime he tried to run:


It sure looked cute though!


The newly engaged couple at the Stanley.


Then we headed up to RMNP to go to Bear Lake. They have a really nice trail set up around the perimeter to walk around. Luckily we had been here before so we knew the stroller wouldn't really work.

We figured out that we could just put the monkey on upside down so the leash hooked at the top. It worked out great. Carson walked the entire lake all by himself and loved every minute.


Beautiful photo backdrop, right?!




This is Carson doing TOUCHDOWN! Anytime we say touchdown he throws both hands up above his head. Grandpa Rick taught him this one over the webcam :)


And a funny reminder of the new monster in our life.
"Hey Dad, since you're not busy, can I have those???"


Just as we were getting off the trail it started pouring rain. We waited under an awning for awhile and then made a run for the car. By the time we took off it had started pouring again. We already know that Carson HATES carwashes. He must have thought this was the same thing because he panicked and started crying.
I just love this pouty, whiny face he makes!

Monkey turned Houdini

From the beginning of our relationship I have been told many stories about what a handful Carl was as a child. He always escaped their house, ran to stores naked, terrorized who knows what, etc etc etc. His grandma still calls him Houdini and Dennis the Menace. I was always threatened that I would have to deal with Carl 2.0 when the day came along that we had a son. Well, I guess the day is here.

Last night Carson escaped from his crib and then from his bedroom.

On Sunday night he refused to sleep at Nick & Erin's house and it has been just as bad ever since. I honestly think we have hit some kind of a new round of separation anxiety. He absolutely refuses to sit in his crib or PnP alone and throws a fit if I leave. He keeps trying to claw his way out and grabs onto any part of me so I don't leave him. This is a totally new thing.

Monday night he was horrible and ended up in bed with me for the first time in 6 months. Last night he slept until midnight in his crib and then woke up hysterical. I got him calmed down eventually, but he flipped out when he hit the mattress. I have been telling Carl we need to drop the crib to the lowest level for awhile because even though he hadn't tried, I knew Carson could probably get out if he wanted. He can get down from our huge bed with no problem at all.

Back to about 1am last night when I put him back in the crib. I could tell he was pretty frantic, but I wanted to leave him alone for a minute to see if he'd calm down. I really had a feeling he would get out in the very back of my mind though. In the <30 seconds it took me to get in my room and back into bed I realized the yelling stopped and I heard the door handle bounce. In a split second I knew exactly what happened, threw on my glasses and RAN out of my room. Sure enough, his door is wide open and he is missing. It wouldn't be a big deal other than we don't have a gate on the top of our stairs. I yelled his name, did a quick check of his room and ran out to keep looking. Next thing I know he is running back to me from down the hall. My mom said her door was open this morning so he must have busted into there, thankfully.

I was so shaken up since, being 1am, I was also half asleep. After this he went in the PnP right next to my side of the bed. He would only stand up and had to have my arm right by him. He kept lying his head against our mattress, rubbing his hair and face and dozed off standing like this a few times. He would bound up as soon as I touched him though.

He eventually got down on his knees with his face buried in the sheet and fell asleep at 3:22am. I can't even believe we were up that long. He woke up at 5:45 with Carl, slept on me until 6:30 and luckily let me put him back in the PnP where he slept until 8am. After the two nights before this being a total disaster, let's just say I'm a little tired today!

Tonight his crib is going all the way to the bottom and I will be getting another door handle cover for his room.

My thighs beg you, Child...

Today was a very new and interesting experience for both me and Carson. I went back to the gym for the first time in 3 years and he went to his first daycare. I had a blast. Carson, not so much.

I still have high hopes for this all working out, don't get me wrong. Carl has been going to the gym everyday for almost a year now, but I couldn't find one that had an okay (or affordable) daycare option. I had been toying with the idea of a preschool once or twice a week for a few hours so Carson can get some good playtime in with other monkeys. Then we found a great fitness resort and signed up two days ago since there were no contracts. I figured it was still a cheaper option and we all get something out of it. I wasn't going to do something long term in case Carson didn't cooperate.

Back to today. I made sure he had a good nap and a full belly before I even thought about leaving the house. When we got there I dropped him off, stood in the corner watching for a few minutes and he didn't even know I existed at the time. I was excited that he was off to a great start. They have a paging system so they can call you if they cry for more than 10-15 mintues which I fully expected to hear my name on. After 40 minutes away, I was cautiously optimistic. I figured that was plenty for the first day so I would go get him regardless.

As soon as I walked in I spotted his orange shirt in the arms of one of the women who work there. I flew over to him and saw his face was red and his eyelashes were all wet. I grabbed him, and sort of panicked as I asked if I had missed a page. She said no, but she had been holding him for about 20 minutes because he would start crying if she even thought about putting him down. It was obvious he was pretty upset. She was super nice though and said he actually did better than most for his first day. It took me a few more minutes to get him all the way calm and then he was a zombie on the ride home.

Half of me feels really bad and the other half is excited to try again. Whether we like it or not, there will come a day where he and I are not 2 halves that make one and we will have to suck it up. My only hope now is that he isn't traumatized the next time I try to drop him off!

Other than that, we have been playing in between work all week. The other morning he got a hold of the ziplocks and thought the box was a great toy.


You'll find Carson at the front window waiting for Daddy after work like this everyday.




While we were waiting that day it started raining. I had been watching this yellow bird land on my big flower stem over and over again, but I wasn't fast enough to get a picture. Then from the corner of my eye I noticed this baby bird sitting in a different pot on my porch. I got out my telephoto lens and started snapping shots from inside the window. It seemed to be pretty content and dry so I walked out on the porch to see what it would do. I got right up by it and it didn't even flinch. It is so cool to see animals, even if they are plain brown birds, up this close at home.
Doesn't it look like a little old man with those "eyebrows"?!?!


What else........We have been playing in a big cardboard box with a hole cut out a lot this week (random, I know). Yesterday we sweated at the zoo with Jenn and Katelyn (and baby no-name). Tomorrow we are just going grocery shopping for the weekend and maybe to get some gym clothes at Old Navy. I scored a $45 off $100 coupon tonight so that is a good shopping incentive! Christy and her new fiance, Andy, are flying into town tomorrow night for the long weekend so we are planning a fun time.


I guess that's all for now! Oh wait, Carson also said cheese today for the first time. It actually comes out as "sheesh", but we knew what he meant!