11 months!

This time last year, we had just had our last baby shower and were getting together all the last minute preparations for the arrival of baby Carter!  Here is my line of every month...can't believe it has almost been a year since Carter entered our lives.

Yes I know his hair is looking quite shaggy, but bad luck to cut it before he is a year old!

Things to Rember about Carter at 11 months:
-The kid will eat ANYTHING!  Well almost anything, for some reason he is not into eggs.  Anything else is in his belly.  His favorites right now are Mexican (particularly beans, rice and guacamole all mixed together), oranges, yogurt, broccoli, shrimp, cheese
-Off bottles for good! He is an all sippy cup man now.
-Can stand by himself for a long time, attempts to make a step and then looses his balance.  He also likes to just launch himself in the direction he wishes to go.  Take as long as you like to walk Carter, mommy and daddy are in no hurry!
-Mixture of crawling on his knees and belly.  If he needs to go fast, he goes on his belly.
-Favorite toys:  This soft puppy that is one of those fold up pillows with a blanket inside, he loves to snuggle with it, pots and pans, his push walker thingy, anything with music, books (!!!!)
-A little attitude is emerging!  When you take something away from him, almost always a few seconds of sceaming will follow.
-Saying dada, momma, and hi, not very consistent on any of them, but they come out clearly a lot.  He is really weird in he will say something for days and then he just stops, and then starts again.  Emerging language skills!


Here is a video to show how difficult it is to capture one picture of him sitting in the chair

365: Week Two

So my goal this week was to try and use manual setting as much as possible on my camera.  This was very difficult and made me want to throw the camera across the room.  I stayed home with Carter a lot this week, because of a no daycare issue.  Trying to use manual settings that I have to play with a lot and trying to take a picture of a very busy baby, do not mix very well!

D8:  Tried to take advantage of all the snow.  I went out with Sadie and Lily  to get a pic of Sadie playing in the snow, because she loves the snow!  She was not willing to cooperate.  Prob has something to do with the fact that she hates the camera and the attention she gets has drastically decreased in the last year.  I know she is thinking, "I'm not going to do what you want so you can get a picture."  Just because she is stubborn like that.  Anyhow, cool pic of lilly instead.  She is the want to please child.

 D9: I took two more pictures from the deck this week.  No more I promise.

D10:  Sunset...again, sorry we just have really great sunsets that I can't resist!  That sky is unreal.  I should have used editing in Iphoto and made all that snow disappear and then it would have been really dark below...oh well, I'm going to be lazy!

D11:  This one is cheating.  Niles took it, but I gave the bath!

D12:  I wanted to get some pictures for his Birthday Invite, this was the day I wanted to throw my camera.  I couldn't pick my favorite.  After uploading I need to work on the B&W.  I washed him out a little.

 Never mind I think this is my fav

 Day 13: Trying again

Day 14:  Homemade, whole wheat flour tortillas!  Not groundshaking photography, but they took a lot of work!

Well who knows what this next week will bring!

Not much going on!

It has been pretty boring around this casa lately.  Niles was on call for a bazillion days in a row, because of his trade for Christmas.  Niles on call=doing nothing.  Here on some random pics.  Most are from my old cell, so not the greatest quality.

Carter watching airplanes

YMSB New Years Eve

 Carter swimming in a pool for the first time with the Letos (they baby sat New Years Eve)

 Getting his cowboy on before the Fiesta Bowl

 They flood town park in the winter to create a ice ring, pond (not sure what to call it).  People ice skate and play hockey.  Really cool, small town stuff!

 Carter all bundled up for 12th night

 He is liking books now!  Very exciting!!!!!!!!

365: Week Uno

I had a lot of fun this week.  It was all about getting to know my camera.  I know everything now...not really.  I can change my aperture and shutter speed.  It is a good start.

D2:  Go Cowboys!  Carter had just gotten up from a nap and his hair was doing this...

D3:  Bowling with the Letos!  Lonnie won, Niles almost got beat by 7 month prego Taber. Maizy was adorable with Carter as usual.  I had prob with these pics, white balance is what I think I need to work on.

D4:  Sunset from our deck

D5: Carter's first Spaghetti

D6: 12th Night, this is where Christmas trees come to die:(  Fire is hard to photograph.  I need a tripod to do stuff like this!

D7: Finally we have...Snow!!!

Project 365: Day One

With my birthday and Christmas money I have decided to invest in a fancy camera.  I know my birthday is still a few weeks away, but Costco has the camera I want and it is on sale, but only until Jan 7.  Go ahead and say it...sucker:)   If you know Niles and I, we are not very good at waiting to give gifts to each other, so really it is no surprise. 

With this new gift, I would like to actually learn how to use it!  I decided to buy a Canon Rebel for two reasons.  This is the same camera I got from my parents for High School graduation after I completed a few Booker T. Washington photography classes and decided then that I liked to take pictures.  Looking at the display, the settings all seem the same as my old camera, just digital.  This camera has also been recommended by a few friends.   

In the process of learning to take pictures, I have decided to take on Project 365!  This is a project that my friend Kelly did a little over a year ago.  She said it was very beneficial to her learning to take beautiful pictures.  The project is basically a picture a day!  They can be any kind of picture, with any kind of camera.  I plan on posting them at the end of the week.   I hope to take everyday pictures, pictures that sum up my day, and pictures that try different techniques.    For my first picture, I took it at exactly midnight.  I only had my cell phone, so it is not the best picture quality, but it sums up the moment!

Day One:

I was hoping you could see the balloons and people below us, but no.  Oh well, better pictures to come!

What we learned in 2011!

This past year was definitely a monumental one in our lives.  Lot's of first and things learned.  Thought I would put together a little list:

10.  C-Sections are not so much fun.

9.  Sometimes kids don't listen and decide to be born on Holidays.  I'm sure kids listen well on all other things...right:)

8.  People don't really want to see you anymore when you have a baby, they want to see the baby.

7. Niles's one day a week off is spent doting on Carter, instead of hitting the slopes, and he loves every minute of it.

6.  You can have a fine dining experience in 30 min or less.

5.  Daycare is expensive.

4. Cowboy basketball is out.  Cowboy football is in. 

3.  Our definition of a night out has slightly changed.  Not as many concerts or movies, a lot more early bed times.

2. Watching a human being change and grow is truly a miracle.

1.  Carter is the most laid back, awesome, and cutest baby in the whole world.  Sorry to all you other babies in the world:)

Can't wait to see what 2012 has in store for our family.  We wish you all a Happy New Year!

10 months old!

Someone asked how old Carter was and Niles said almost a year, I responded, "He is not!" He is still a tiny baby:)

Carter is one busy baby.  Really I could just leave it at that, but here are a few more details we'd like to remember...
-Eating lots.  We are now to the point that we can't be eating, without him wanting some.  He doesn't even care what it is.  If we are eating it, he wants it.  The newest eats he has tried are fish.  Shrimp and Rockfish to be exact.  Hard for me who pukes at the smell of fish.  See below.  I hope the eating of veggies  continues, because I'm not exactly a fan and if your child wants them you can't deny them, right!
-Getting stronger everyday.  He can walk with one of those push things now.  I still think he is still a ways from walking lonesome, but getting there. 
-Talking. Still saying dada and now momma.  His gurgles are sounding like made up words and like he is having a conversation.  One we can't understand, but it is very entertaining
-Loves to laugh
-4 bottles, 2 naps a day
-Likes to dance!  He has been doing the bouncing his head up and down, but at the ORU game he started this side to side head move like Stevie Wonder.  He did it in church on Christmas day too.  See below.

Dance Party at Lunch!  Why you ask?  Well Carter was eating fish and it really does make me want to puke.  So I could keep a happy face, I turned on some tunes and Carter busted a move.  You might notice that his cheeks are extra puffy.  He likes to cram a lot of food in there and then chew with his 6 teeth.  Sometimes it will be like 20 minutes after he has finished eating and we will see that he still has food in there.  I promise we only put out a little food at a time and try to check his mouth, but he is like a sneaky pack rat!