Fall Pumpkin Patch, 2009

We love taking Carson out to do new things, even if he doesn't really know what we're doing yet. I found this farm just east of us (since we live in Kansas...) and it had everything we were looking for. They had a huge pumpkin patch, gourd patch, fruit and veggie garden, large grass maze, farm animals, food and train rides.

You will notice that once again, Carson is rarely looking at the camera. He just runs in circles since he has so much energy and couldn't care less about paying attention to us. He just loves getting out to play.

**I'll warn you now that this will be long :) **

He sat here for 2.4 seconds...






He mostly walked up and down the aisles and didn't pay a whole lot of attention to the actual pumpkins.


How about these blue Colorado skies???
I haven't touched the color here at all. We don't take the blue sky here for granted after growing up with the inversion in Utah. My dad is always fascinated with how blue they are when he is here.


Here is a great example of how much he cares about what we have to say. See ya later Dad!


The boys going into the grass maze. Carson didn't last too long.




Next, we walked over to the farm animals. He was okay with the donkeys, at first.




This may be one of my favorite pictures I've ever taken!


He loved the kitten, not the goats.




The lamb/sheep? was my favorite! Listen to it's BAAA!




He was not having the donkeys. He gave them the one pet at the beginning and wouldn't go back after. Carl tried to set him there so I could snap a picture and he freaked out.


This was the train we took. This thing seriously went fast!




He doesn't look like me, even a little bit?! Can I get 25%?


It was so windy and dusty that Carl handed me his sunglasses. My eyes were pouring tears because of all the dust in my contacts. Carson just sat there and watched the scenery. I think he got bored! What?


And for fun, Vintage Fall Carson, almost exactly a year ago:


He was just sitting up at this time last year.


I told you that would be long!!!

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!

Sunday 4-Wheeling

Carl, Carson and I and our friend Tim went up 4-wheeling yesterday. The guys wanted to check out this trail above Empire that led up to a nice lake so I was game. We had breakfast and took off early. It turned out to be a nice cool day.

When you are doing trails like these, 4.8 miles feels like an eternity because you have to go so slow. When we got home my body was still bouncy like when I was little and would spend 10 straight hours at Lagoon. Once again, Carson did awesome and he had a blast. He just checked everything out, laughed and played.

At one point I took this picture out the windshield. You know you are vertical when you are facing the clouds...


When we finally got up to the top there was a small parking lot for the vehicles. We got Carson out of his PJs and he immediately went to work. He literally thought he would try to pick up every rock in sight, all at once. All I can say is it was a very good thing I brought him a brown outfit!


Then...apparently when you are a 4-wheeling guy you drive your vehicle up on stuff, just because you can. We all do that, right?
First Tim parked his Land Cruiser up on this huge boulder. It was actually pretty impressive.


But then Carl couldn't go without driving his baby up on something. Check out this HUGE boulder!!!! Carl said he would send this pic to Jeep for their catalog. Ummm...........


Then we walked down to the actual lake called Bill Moore Lake. It was so beautiful because it just felt so untouched. There wasn't anybody else up there. The only way to get there is by driving on this off-road trail.


The bank was kind of muddy and Carson seemed to find every single mud hole.


All he wants to do right now is play outside so he was in heaven! We laughed when we loaded the pictures because we didn't have any of him looking at the camera. He was so busy that I wasn't fast enough to get him in the moment anywhere. As soon as I'd jump in front to snap a shot he would be turned and gone.


This was my favorite picture of the day.


Noon is a bright time of day for a photo shoot...


And a kiss for the road.

Stunt Baby!

Carson is such a monkey these days. He has been doing things like trying to climb into his highchair. On Saturday morning he tried to climb up on the back of a dining room chair like he does on the highchair, but with a different outcome. He went straight backwards and the chair came right down on his face. I sprinted for him and threw off the chair, but he was a wreck (then I was too). He has a big bruise and goose egg in the middle of his forehead, a bump on the back of his head, a swollen and red eye, scrapes on the lid and underneath and a good cut along his upper lashes. He looks like he was in a fight! I took this picture Saturday afternoon and luckily it looks a lot better than I thought it would. It is heartbreaking to see him hurt though. :(



He is such a goer though! His current favorite thing is "playing" the Wii. Here he was on Saturday playing along with Daddy. He knows that he is supposed to push the buttons and swing it around.

And a clip of some action:


He took his shorts off for the first time the other day.


So we put them back on and he put on Carl's shoes all by himself. Great, all we need is another shoe-obsessed man in this house!


This morning he started taking the outlet covers off. Aren't these supposed to be baby-proof?!?!?!? Even I have a hard time getting them out!

Let me count the ways...

I want to take a minute to write down some of the cute and hilarious things Carson is doing now. It is beyond amazing to watch him learn and say new things everyday. He is so funny that we sit and laugh forever just watching him be him. I know down the road I will not remember these little things so here I go. (Sorry, I guess this is more for my memory's benefit...)

THINGS HE SAYS
Mom = "MAAAAM!"
Dad = "Daduuuu" (but he has said Daddy a few times this week)
Kitty = A blank stare
Meow = "Mau Mau"
Dog = "Dod"
Woof = "Pfff Pfff"
Mum Mum Crackers = "Mum Mum"
Remote = "Mum Mum" (This is Carl's teaching. He has said "Memote" a few times, but it is mostly Mum Mum.)
Phone = "Mum Mum"
Spatula = "Mum Mum"
Everything else he can't say yet = "Mum Mum"
Banana = "Naner" or "Nanu"
Dinner = "Ninner"
Done = "Nun" (And he signed Done for the first time today! I've been showing him some signs for a little while now and this was the first time he did it without any prompting.)
No = "No No No No", He actually just started saying this today....boy am I excited! ;)

THINGS HE DOES
-We put a cat door in to go to the laundry room where their stuff is. When we go in and shut the door behind us Carson will bend over upside-down and peek at us through the hole. Then he'll sit down and stick his feet through the hole and wait for you to get his toes.
-He uses EVERYTHING as a phone, even just his hand if nothing else is available.
-He used a plastic fork to comb my hair for a long time the other day.
-He got a hold of a Wii remote last night and was swinging it around like he was really playing. He totally knew what he was trying to do, but couldn't coordinate the button and swinging at the same time.
-He chases the cats through the house screaming a battle cry at the top of his lungs. Poor little things...
-If you say "Yay" or "Good Job" he starts clapping.
-He gives high-fives.
-When you ask him to blow a kiss he kisses his palm, but doesn't ever "blow" it to you. :)
-He can point out his hair, ears, nose, mouth, belly and toes.
-If you ask him how old he is he will put up one finger (I just taught him that Friday and he was doing it right away).
-He is only happy eating if he has a spoon or fork to hold. About two weeks ago I gave him a fork and out of nowhere he had it figured out. He isn't very good with a spoon, but he is great with the fork.
-Sometimes it takes multiple wet wipes when he is finished eating:


-He pick-pockets Carl's phone all the time, which is hilarious when Carl isn't paying attention.
-He can reach inside all of the top drawers all of a sudden. This makes his current obsession of kitchen things all the more fun. His favorites are all the plastic spatulas, spoons and bowls which are always strewn about the house.
Today he found a pair of 3-D glasses in the junk drawer and wore them upside down (sorry its so blurry...):


-He stands at the front windows waiting for Carl to get home at night. I'll be cooking and here him yell "DADU" and he goes nuts until he gets to see him in person. We were out to greet him on the scooter the other night - Helmet Kisses!:


-The 3 molars we have been waiting on all broke through last Thursday!!!
-He opens wide and lets me brush his teeth every single time.
-He throws full-blown temper tantrums now. He waits until we are looking, lets out a huge fake scream/cry and throws himself straight back or forward on the ground. It. Is. Awesome.
-He gives kisses, no questions asked, at any time during the day, no matter his mood.

-He loves playing outside with his Cozy Coupe.


-On any given day his hair usually looks like this, out of control:


He reminds me every single day just how lucky we are to be his parents.

Mondays are the hardest.

And not for the typical "Case of the Mooooondays" reason either. On any regular week I would probably choose Monday as my favorite day. I love enjoying the weekend, but I always have a lot of energy come Monday and I can get us reset for the rest of the week.

But...(there's always a big but)... Carson is making them extremely difficult right now! Okay, that's not fair. I should say I am making it difficult by keeping him home with me while trying to work a full-time job. He just does what he does. No doubt about it, I have it made and I am not complaining. But don't I get a whiny card now and then?

For the last 6 weeks I have had phone teleconferences at 2pm on Monday. I was glad to get them scheduled at this time because Carson usually goes down for a nap around 1:30. The last few Mondays have been horrible though! He must have too much fun on the weekend with his daddy or something because he is thrown off by Monday. Last week he slept until almost 8am and screwed up his nap times. Today he woke up around 5am and I have had to keep him up much later than I want for naps so he would be asleep at 2:00.

By 1:00 he was fake crying, flailing and whining because he was tired. I knew I couldn't put him down until at least 1:30 to make it. I pulled out the video camera because he thinks its fun.
Here was the tired example (and check out my new office gates! YAY!):


I was following him around and ended up on the kitchen floor somehow. Then he thought it was funny to come sit on my lap. I turned the video camera's screen so he could see himself on film and started chatting himself up! Can you understand any of this???


Then, of course, he didn't want to go to sleep at 1:30, 1:45 or 2:00. I'm assuming he was just a little too tired by that point. I stayed with him until the last minute, but he didn't fall asleep until 2:20. I can't miss these calls and couldn't do anything about it. I honestly felt horrible. Carl always reassures me and tells me its okay if something like that happens. It is still really hard to concentrate on reports and patient testing when I know my baby is upstairs crying. Sigh. Here goes the mommy guilt again.

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Okay, enough of that.

Here is proof that our son is a white boy. And yes, that is painter's tape holding the fireplace grate on. The monster won't stop taking it off and pulling out the wires. Safety first! :)


Annnnnnnd, he's in the hall closet now.


I want to say thanks again to my wonderful husband. I was ready to go to the mall solo on Saturday because he wanted to spend time with Carson after being gone for a week. I haven't been to the mall alone........um, since I was pregnant?!?! I just wanted a minute to go into one store and buy some new clothes that I desperately need without fetching Cheerios off the floor of the dressing room. But then I realized it really isn't as fun without my guys. Carl was game to come along and kept Carson the entire time I shopped. I felt a little like my old self when I would go to the mall in the drop of a hat. I miss that sometimes, but again, it is always better when they are there. Carl is such a good dad and a trooper!!!

Wow. That was long.