What a Beautiful Day

I have been wanting to take Noah to the zoo for awhile now but had the perfect opportunity yesterday.  My mom was going with the girls and invited us to join them.  We were both off and the weather was supposed to be great so we went for it!  The weather was great, it sure was warm and the boys did awesome!  We couldn't have asked for it to have worked out better.  Doing things like this makes me nervous, not knowing how Carson will do in the car and not knowing how Noah will be but yesterday they put all my worries at ease and both behaved very well.  

We had to get Noah out of the stroller to look at stuff because he never wanted to get down on his own (except for in front of the fish tank, he sure does love fish!) and he loved just getting pushed around all day!  Carson did awesome on the ride up he ate, played and slept and for awhile was fine in the stroller but after awhile we took turns holding him.  I brought a carrier for him but knew since it was so hot I would be dying wearing him and it was just easier/less hot to hold him.  They both loved the train ride!  I think that was Noah's favorite part although he wouldn't really say much all day.  We left early afternoon because I wanted to leave when Carson would be ready for a nap, we kind of tried to hold him off but he was so tired and hungry and that is really the only time he fussed at all.  They both were asleep in the car within less than 5 minutes of leaving, so then Matthew and I had a mostly peaceful ride home. 

 When we got home Matthew did some work outside while I played with the kiddos, then we went to the park and finished off the day with some Dairy Queen.  What a busy but fun day we had with our boys!  Love days like this, we need more of  them!  

I didn't take many pictures but got a few of our zoo fun!

Noah checking out some animals

 Caught a smile

 Checking out the ducks/swans (can't remember what all was in that pond, haha)

 The spoiled one, getting held by Taylor

 Family photo, we sure don't get many of these!

Carson, chilling in his seat right after lunch, he was leaned back and had his foot up, it was funny looking

 All of us getting ready to take a train ride.  Carson actually sat on my lap and was still, it was awesome!  And of course Noah already loves trains so I know he thought it was pretty neat to ride on one!

We sure did have a great day with family and our boys!  Hope to have many more this summer. 

Spoon Band

At most meal times, we have a spoon band in our kitchen.  I don't remember how/when we realized that Carson loved banging Noah's big plastic spoons on his tray, but since it keeps him happy I let him.  When I'm getting lunch or dinner ready for  the two, out comes the spoons, and they have a blast together hitting the high chair and the table.  It even works after they are done sometimes, so I can get the mess cleaned up right away.  I'm sure this won't be fun for too long but it sure is nice right now!  Noah this week has been picky and he thinks they both need two spoons and usually tries to tell me which colors they each need (definitely has the oldest child syndrome, thinking he is always the boss)

Having fun with  their spoons!

Late Night Dinner

Each night after bath time we usually read books with Noah and if he sees food in the books that he knows like apples, oranges, or bananas he usually will want them and go running to the fridge to ask for them. 

 The other night was totally weird though because Matthew was reading a book and showed Noah a chicken and what does he do?  He went running to the fridge and wanted chicken nuggets!  It was so weird because he eats them most nights since that is the only meat we can get him to eat but we usually have to kind of distract him and feed them to him because he won't usually do it on his own.   So it was a complete surprise when he wanted them at 8:00 at night and ate them without us trying.  After they were done he also had to have a banana (which he was eating above) and when the first one was gone he wanted another one, it was like a whole 2nd dinner he ate that night!

The way his brain connects things together and thinks is so interesting right now!

Carson is 7 Months Old

Can't believe our little baby is already 7 months!
On March 29th it was his 7 month birthday
At 7 months Carson is...

-still not sleeping through the night (Operation Get Carson to sleep through the night didn't go well and we haven't been working on it this week).  He has still been getting up about 2-3 times a night
-eating and loving baby food (most of it I have been making myself but for when we are out he has been getting store bought)
-doesn't have any teeth yet
- can roll but doesn't roll around on the floor a lot like Noah did, that is how he got where he wanted at this age but Carson wants to stand or sit, doesn't like lying down period.
-when we are playing on the floor and I'm by him, he will use my legs and try to pull up on me, he wants to be mobile so bad
-still loves your jumperoo, you can ready go to town when you are in there
-likes to play with Noah's cars, although he's not always a fan of sharing with you
-has been down to 2 naps for awhile
-still loves his brother
-still smiles just about anytime people talk to him, he sure can be a happy baby sometimes!
-is in all 9 month size clothes
-is a really good car rider
-loves being outside
-has your hands in your mouth all the time
-sure can test our patience some days but we still love him sooo much!  I love snuggling with you when you let me, kissing your chubby little cheeks, hearing that laugh when you are your brother are having a moment (melts my heart everytime)

We love you buddy!

Laughter

Lately Carson and Noah will just start laughing at each other, sometimes for no reason I can see and it's soooo stinking adorable.  I wish I could get it on video and have tried a few times but get it ready too late.  It never lasts very long but sometimes it really just seems like Carson looks at Noah, gets excited, laughs and then it makes Noah laugh and they carry on a giggle fest for a few minutes.    Carson will do the same thing to Matthew but never me, I guess he just spends too much time with me and I'm not that exciting.  These two sure can turn a day around with their laughing!

I know this sure seems like a pointless post to most of you, but after reading our blog from when Noah was little, I have already forgotten so much that he did, I want to have all these memories since I seemed to have the worst memory, I sometimes really wonder sometimes if there is something wrong with it!

Isn't he Sweet?

Such a handsome boy!  A few weeks ago we had some pictures taken for Carson's 6 month,some of the boys together, a few of Noah, and the family.  If you want to see all of them go to http://www.picturesbyashley.com/apps/photos/ and our album is toward the bottom.

Well anyways this handsome boy still doesn't sleep through the night and we aren't just talking getting up once, it's usually still 3 times which comes out to about every 3 hours.  Not exactly great for an almost 7 month old.  Noah wasn't ever a good sleeper either, he didn't sleep through the night consistently until he was a year old.  I thought with Carson I was due a baby who slept through the night early but apparently it doesn't work that way.  (still a little bitter if you can't tell!)  Now since we have had 2 boys that don't sleep well at night the nervous mom in me wonders if it's me?  What do I do or not do that makes my children get up so much?  

Anyways last night I went back in our blog to see what Noah was/ wasn't doing at the age Carson is at just to compare the two and I read about Noah's nights at this point.  We had already pretty much weaned him off of eating at night he would just wake up and want his pacifier most of the time grr.... I remember how I thought Noah was bad at least we weren't still feeding him.  So last night I decided was it.  I was going to give up some sleep and start working on Operation Carson Sleeping Through the Night.  I can tell you right now Carson is winning.  Matthew ended up on the couch and Carson ended up sleeping with me in the bed, the little turkey!  When he woke up for the first time around 11:30 we moved him into our room so he wouldn't wake up his big brother since we were going to let him cry for awhile  and it wasn't for awhile, he went on and on for a long while!  I kept going over to him, sshhing him, rubbing his back and was still crying the same so I picked him up and tried rocking him.  He just looked at me in the dark all content and whenever I would put him down he would start all over again so after I was way past ready to go to sleep I laid down in bed holding him next to me.  The little cutie, went right to sleep without being fed and stayed asleep until 3 in which I just fed him so we could both go back to bed.  Then he was up and wanting to eat again at 5:30.  I figured we weren't going to go from 3 times a night to nothing, so we will just work on one feeding at a time.  I'm just hoping this doesn't take too long, I have to remember the prize, a full nights sleep of UNINTERRUPTED SLEEP (that's the key) hopefully most nights when we are done with this.  Oh it's been way to long since that has been a norm for me!  

Refresher

Friday afternoon, I left town with some moms to head to Bloomington-Normal for the Hearts at Home Conference.  On the way up Jen and I hit up Tuscola outlet mall, found some more summer stuff for the boys then on to Bloomington to meet up with everyone else to eat at Biaggi's it was a delicious dinner and boy was I stuffed.  It was so nice to eat and talk, and only have to feed ourselves and not entertain anyone!  Then  we went to the campus where we had Moms night out, where there was a brief worship session, and a comedy type show with a lot of improv.  It was a good show! Afterwards we had some ColdStone ( I  was bummed for not getting Homewood yet but this totally made up for it, my favorite! ) and then headed to the hotel.

We didn't get much sleep since we had to start early but it was nice to have some uninterrupted sleep! Then on to the conference we went the next morning.  The first session was by Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar, I like them, listening to them made me want to watch their show.  Then the rest of the day was workshop sessions which some of them were better than others.  Overall I had a great time, it didn't really matter what we were doing or what was going on.  It was nice to get away for a day, relax, and get to talk and hang out with some amazing women.  Jen and I left late afternoon before everything ended so we could get back a little earlier and see our kiddos before bed.  It was great to see them and hang out with them for a bit.

 I can tell you last night and this morning were so much easier after feeling a little refreshed, makes me a much better mom.  Last night I was so relaxed with them, I loved it.  I need to do this more often!  I love my children sooo much, but let's face it some days are just tough with them and every once and a while we just need a break as moms!  Thanks to my hubby who took care of them the majority of the time, did a great job and had the house pretty neat when I got home (he knows the way to my heart, haha)!