Day 11: Mommy and Me

It was after dinner and I still hadn't taken a photo for today. Unlike yesterday, I took my camera out with us today, but didn't take a photo. We were outside and I handed the camera off to Carl so I could jump in one. 

My little dude is just the most snugly thing I've ever laid my eyes on.

I think I'm going to focus on only needing one photo per day. It's way too much pressure to have to have one of both of them. Although, after I got this loaded I did get some adorable ones of both of them....

Day 10: Down the barrel

We played at the park on Main Street in Parker today, but I unfortunately forgot to take my camera.
The train table was played with upside down today. See? New AGAIN! lol

Carson spontaneously busted out his first air guitar.

Day 9: Indoor day

We are having the exterior of our house repainted today. That means Carson can't go in the backyard at all. We also can't leave because they are painting outer doors and we can't open the garage.We brought the train table back up from the basement and the old is again new. It actually is new to Max and just his size!




Grandma's bed. What is it about parents' and grandparents' beds? Carson lays in here all the time. I spent so much time in my grandma's bed as a kid too.

Max: 11 months old

Mr. Max is becoming a boy. Not as much of a baby all of a sudden. He sat up so tall and proud for me.

Then......Carson started running around behind me. Max sure has eyes for his big bro.

Day 8: Yo!

Today was a chill and do chores day for us. In fact, Max didn't even make it out of his pajamas. What's the point, really? So, today's photos are of the boys playing since that's all they did today other than sleep.

Max has discovered Carson's Yo Gabba Gabba computer and loves it. We turned on the YGG show the other night and he went nuts. He danced and yelled and totally tried to say Yo Gabba Gabba. It was The. Cutest.  Now this toy will keep him occupied for a while. He figured out the on/off button and thinks it is just the best thing since AC Slater met acid washed jeans.

I got one after he pulled up to his toy and then crawled on his hands and knees.

This is all Carson's doing. I was just there to catch it.

Day 7: Reunited

The boys got home from camping today and went straight to a bath and shower. Max has started pulling up to standing at the couch, tables, bath tub etc. When Carson was getting dried off I realized I wanted a photo of Max's first days standing by himself, but he dropped before I could get back with the camera. In the last 3 days he has been pulling up and started crawling on his hands and knees. It seems like he is way late to this, but part of that is because Carson was so early!

Max does love to attack his brother though. He was so happy to see him walk back in the door today. I got this one and knew that was all I needed for the day. Catching real moments like this keep me going.

Day 6: While the boys are away...

Carl and Carson headed out to go 4-wheeling and camping today. I seriously cannot complain about Carl's Jeep hobby since he always wants the boys with him. He can't wait until I'll let him take Max too. Since I wouldn't see Carson today I asked him to stop for a photo with "his" Jeep. But by the end of this first full week home he was so insanely grumpy. He and I NEED a break from each other sometimes. I got him to stop for a second, but he refused a happy face. So, here is Carson's photo for today. It is possibly the grumpiest face he's ever pulled off for the camera.

Since we had to day to ourself, my mom, Max and I went out for some girl time. Sorry Max. On the way home I stopped to do some location scouting. I was so glad I brought my camera because I pulled Max out for a 10 second photo shoot. 2pm light isn't ideal, but I'll take any photos of my babe.

Day 5... one more

Missed this one yesterday. I love the chunk of banana on his cheek. :)

Day 5: It's bananas, ya'll.

Grandma had today off so we wanted to go out and take the boys to do something fun. We had an awesome time and were out way past lunch and nap time. When we got home I got Carson to eat and he crashed so fast. Max slept on the way home (shocker) so he was wide awake, hungry and happy as ever. 

He did a number with the bananas. They are all over him...still. He is the happiest guy I know. The hands on the cheeks (a la Home Alone) are him playing peek-a-boo. Most of the time he covers his eyes, but no matter where the hands land we are expected to yell peek-a-boo when he pulls them away.

I peeked in on Carson and couldn't believe how perfectly sweet he looked. He made my job easy today. He is usually so insanely hyper that I really appreciate the moments like this. Yeah, sleeping moments!
You can see his "beauty mark" above his lip in the right photo. It's the only mole on his face and so perfectly placed.

The place we went to play is called Lollipop Park. It's an indoor amusement park for little kids. Carson had so much fun and literally didn't take a break for 2 hours straight. We had to tear him out of the place. It was definitely somewhere we'll go back to though!

Day 4: Aisle love you forever.

Well. Today started off a little better than yesterday. Max had stopped crying and we both slept really well last night for a change. (Yes, we still co-sleep.) We hadn't made dinner for two nights with the craziness going on so I desperately needed to get to the store today. I gambled and went to Target which turned out okay, but it was a super quick trip. I abandoned my list after the first 10 minutes because Max started crying again. If you were at the Stapleton Target this morning....I was the crazy lady in the dairy aisle with a camera. This was the only photo I grabbed because it was honestly a tad embarrassing, even for me. Plus, Carson stood up when I stepped back so I panicked. LOLzies
Max still had sad/sleepy/sick eyes. Mommies know what those look like all too well.

Later on I was trying to get them to nap, but because Max crashed in the car he wanted to play. I was ecstatic considering he hasn't wanted to play hardly at all. As you can see, the shelf over his shoulder is empty and the contents are on the floor. He has discovered the book shelf and loves pulling up to it and throwing everything out, just like I said in the laundry post from day 1. Carson used to do this in my office at this age so I'm happy to have it be the play books this time!

Day 3: Quarantined

Yesterday was defined by tears. Max cried NON-STOP from midnight until bedtime yesterday, aside from the times he would doze off in my arms. We were awake at least hourly last night too. I thought it was teething at first, but boy was I wrong. Folks, our house welcomes hand, foot and mouth disease. I have heard of it in the past, but never experienced it with our kids. Carson was acting sick Saturday afternoon around the time of the birthday party and had a horrible fever that night. He also complained of a headache and that his cheeks hurt all through Monday. When I looked up the signs it only came back to coxsackie virus, or hand, foot and mouth disease. It normally presents with big sores though so I wasn't convinced If it was that there is no treatment other than time so we just waited. He was fine by Monday afternoon. 

Yesterday while Max was in absolutely misery I leaned him back to look at his tooth. Instead I found white sores on the back of his throat. All his symptoms came back to coxsackie too. I then noticed his feet had little red dots all over them. Now he is getting red dots on his cheeks today too. The drool has been out of this world and the crying has been incessant. This is like no other sickness we've ever had. He has the exact list of symptoms with this thing! The poor guy has hardly eaten anything because his mouth obviously hurts. He is barely nursing and solids make him livid. I'm not kidding when I say I did nothing yesterday but try to comfort him while he screamed or be silent while he dozed. Today he has tried to play a few times, but mostly just wants to be in my arms. You can tell he'll feel okay for a second and will then feel it and scream again and again.

So. We are now quarantined. I will see you all in the real world in another day or two......

This is the saddest face. I turned for two seconds to find the snot and drool had returned where I had just wiped it off.

Poor Carson is bored out of his mind. We went to the park today, but couldn't stay long. Luckily he discovered Mario Cart on the Wii and has been playing that a lot. Now it's raining so the backyard isn't even an option. He is being extremely patient and caring for a 4-year-old though.

These are phone pics from yesterday. The grumpy face and when he had passed out right on my chest for a minute.

Day 2: tears and babywearing

Max has been cutting the same tooth, one next to his top middle two, for WEEKS now. I keep thinking it will drop all the way down any day, but nothing has happened. It is obviously there and you can see the whole outline in his gums. We had a really bad night with it about 10 days ago. Then last night he was really fussy at bedtime, but I thought he was just overly tired. He woke up at some point and I couldn't get him settled back down. I hate lying in the dark with him crying and me wide awake so I always come down to the couch on these kind of nights. We were up from 11:45 to about 3:45 before he finally settled down enough to go back to bed. He felt so hot and feverish all night and still is this morning. 

Then Carson woke up at 5am screaming and saying his toe hurt. I realized he put on some of his zip-up footie pajamas and they are too small for his feet. His big toe was squished and that meant we all got to be up for the day at 5:55am after the night we had. 

Max is still crying non-stop this morning, drooling out of nowhere and is so upset. Some food didn't work, milk didn't work, a bath didn't work. But now here I sit after the Sleepy Wrap has once again come to the rescue. I cannot sing its praises enough! He is now passed out on my chest, smelling like a fresh and clean baby.

I figured this will be the theme of our day so here is Day 2's photo. Carson even humored me and joined in.

EDIT: I overlooked this one and needed to play with it too. :)  I looooove lots of negative space in photos.

Day 1: Can I do it?

Last year I challenged myself to a photo everyday for the month of April. Carson was turning 3 and I was nearing the end of my pregnancy with Max. Honestly, it was so hard to keep it up for even a month. I definitely missed some days and it was a lot of pressure. But I feel like the world is making me hurry up right now and I'm missing our own moments. I still get a ton with my phone, but I need to get out my camera more. I am putting out a self-challenge that I want to start taking photos of them most days. I will strive for everyday, but won't beat myself up if it doesn't happen. No deadline, just memories when I can make it happen. I will feel more guilty about no photos at all than missing a few days here and there. 

I'm thinking I would like to get at least one photo of each of the boys everyday, either separately or of them together. Sometimes that may not work out, but I don't want to favor one over the other. Some days it may be one photo, some days many. They both grow faster than I can even believe! I've been taking photos here and there, but having a hard time finding time to process and post them. I had a totally full two CF cards today that I went through from two weeks worth! It's kind of like how it's easy to put the laundry in the washer, but hard to dry, fold and put it all away to finish it off.

I decided this today for many reasons and did it. Here is day 1.

Max's favorite quirky thing to do is pull everything out of boxes, laundry baskets, shelves etc. He gets the windmill arms going and it all ends up on the floor. He discovered Carson's book shelf yesterday which has been messy fun. Today he found his own laundry basket and was determined to get it empty. This was the defining moment where I knew I needed this memory on camera.

While I was doing this, Carson was "hiding" in a bin.

Weekend in iPhone pics: Boondocks birthday and wheelin'

We took the boys to Boondocks on Saturday for the birthday party of Sophia from his class. We had a lot of fun, but I thought the highlight was the cake. This thing made me laugh out loud. The girls were in love. Everyone fought over a piece of his hair! hahaha

Saturday's storm

Sunday we took the Jeep out to a wheeling field really close to our house that we never even knew existed. I hated the enormous hills, but the boys loved it.

Then we went to a playground. Max threw a total tantrum when I took him out of this swing. Apparently he was having fun. I tried to get him to wear some sunglasses, but he wasn't having it.

Here are a couple more random instagram photos I didn't post here this week.

Superman undies and a cape