Carter Lately

So obviously I've only been having time to post lately about pregnancy with baby # 2.  But, of course, we have also been super busy with our little man as well who is growing and changing everyday.  He is so much fun these days.  He definitely has his two year old temper tantrums and independence issues, but really for the most part we are loving this age because he understands and is learning so much!  There is so much I don't want to forget about years in the future, so I'm going to do a quick update.

I left off after his second birthday party, which was soon followed by Halloween.  Carter dressed up as Mickey Mouse, from his favorite TV show, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.  I was just going to dress him in red shorts, a black shirt and make him some ears, but it turned out our neighbor just happened to have a cute little Mickey costume that fit him perfectly!  Our office had the kids come by a few days before Halloween to "trick-or-treat" and show off their costumes.  My co-worker's little girl was Minnie and she is about 6 months younger than Carter, so it was really cute to get those two together.  Another co-worker's three kids were characters from the Lego movie which were not scary at all, but Carter was not very happy about the long beard/hair the oldest one was wearing.  We barely got a picture of them all together, and I had to be in it just to get Carter to stand by them!

Trick-or-treating on Halloween was COLD COLD COLD.  A cold front had come through and it was colder than it is right now in mid-December with a crazy cold wind that made it even worse.  So we just made a trip to see Brent's parents and grandparents at their houses before doing a quick run through our church's trunk or treat.  Since we weren't really wanting a lot of candy anyways, (as we would be the ones to eat it!), we decided that was sufficient for a two year old!  We ate some chili at the church's chili supper and then went to my mom and step-dads to hang out until bedtime.  Carter was on a sugar hype!

Hmm...other stuff...I guess Thanksgiving deserves a little recap.  Carter had a big day of playing with his cousins at my step-family's lunch and Brent's grandparent's house for supper.  We had actually gotten our Christmas decor out the weekend before Thanksgiving this year in anticipation of a possible early arrival of baby sister.  So we were able to spend that long weekend being lazy...which was more than welcome since we had been going, going, going so much prior to that!

Carter is really catching on to saying a blessing before our meals.  It is so sweet to hear him say "bless it" when we all get sat down around the table.  We say the prayer, and he ends it with the sign of the cross for us.  "Fatha, son, howy spiwit...AMEN!"  Absolutely precious!  He is also doing somewhat better in church now.  He knows the routine a lot better and I have been able to stop using his pacifier as a way to try to keep him quiet...Brent was really bad about shoving it in on him to keep the noise down but he would just talk around it or take it out when he wanted to say something, so it really wasn't doing any good.  And since I am trying to wean him off of it altogether (he only gets it at bed/naptime and if needed in the car) it was not a good idea.  His favorite part of Mass is when we give "peace" (shake hands) with the other church members.  He loves it so much and sometimes it is hard to get his mind off of that when we get finished!  

He was really good about praying with me in the car in the mornings (or at least listening while I prayed aloud), but he got a MIckey Mouse Christmas carol CD for his birthday and we have been listening to "Mickey songs" ever since.  He is not happy with me when I turn it off to pray, so we have been doing an abbreviated version of prayers for the time being.  Carter notices every time there is a two-second break between songs and will automatically ask for another one every time, so getting his mind off of it doesn't work so well!  Brent is hating it and is thankful he can tell Carter it is only in mommy's car..thank goodness I love Christmas music and don't mind Mickey's squeaky voice.  :)  I'm just not sure exactly what we are going to do when Christmas has come and gone!  Maybe we will just listen to Christmas music all year?

Carter is absolutely in love with Christmas decorations, especially lights and inflatables.  Our babysitter has a yard full of the inflatable characters and Carter says "AWESOME!" every time we pull up in her driveway!  She even sent home a snowman with us, so now even our house is awesome. :)  We took him to see the Christmas lights at a local park this past weekend and he was amazed.  He has been pretty good with the Christmas tree besides one tractor ornament that he likes to touch.  And the presents have not been touched believe it or not!  Probably the funniest thing he has been doing is saying that every snowman has "boogers".  I guess it is their long nose that makes him think that?  I'm not sure, but he says it every time and we get so many laughs out of it! 

I took him in for his 2 year checkup this past week and he was up to 28.3 pounds and is 32 5/8 inches tall.  Considering we had to wait nearly an hour in the waiting room out front plus some time in the actual room, he was really good.  He didn't whine about having his finger pricked and did really good with the nasal flu mist.  We celebrated with some lunch at Chick-fil-a and shopping! :)  Carter is a mess because he is OBSESSED with ketchup and will literally dip his fingers or a spoon in it and just eat it alone.  That can be rather interesting when out and about!!  Thankfully he didn't make too big of a mess.  We were able to walk by Santa in the mall and Carter waved at him and told him (from outside the fenced area he was in!) that he wanted "red tractors".  I tried to get him to sit in his lap, but as usual, he said he was scared!  At least he admits it and doesn't make me stand in line just to refuse it I guess!

Other things he is loving: He has a duck call (an old one of Brent's) in his toys these days and he loves to blow it and then act like he is shooting the ducks (or deer...just whatever he is feeling at the time).  It really is adorable and it cracks me up just how much he wants to be like his daddy!  Another thing they love to do together is play football or "footiball" as Carter says.  He loves to tackle his daddy as they chant "fast, strong, shoulder".  He also has been wearing sunglasses a lot and saying just how cool he is!  :)  He is so "excited" about sissy's car seat being in the back beside him just waiting on her appearance.  I really can't wait to see him in the big brother role...he is so loving that I think it is going to be precious.  And he is obsessed with his daily gummy vitamin...I bought the Cars ones and he will ask for a "car vite" about a million times a day. And of course birthday cake...any mention of a birthday and he is asking about cake! :)

He hasn't been loving drop off in the mornings at the babysitters.  Usually it doesn't involve major crying and screaming (but he has his days!) but it does take some time to get him transitioned into it and playing so he won't be so worried by me leaving.  Then he will have a random day where he is telling me bye immediately and basically pushes me out the door!  I never know what to expect.  And out of nowhere after a really really smooth transition into the "tractor bed" AKA his big boy twin bed, he is screaming and crying when we leave him at nap and bedtimes.  Not sure what happened there, but I'm thinking it all may be related and may just have to do with the premonition he has that something big is about to change...a little sister is coming very soon!  It is totally breaking my heart but I cannot give in and start laying with him for hours when I am going to have a newborn to be nursing and tending to.  Hoping we get through that ASAP!