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Thursday, January 26, 2012
Inquiring Mind of a Two Year Old!
Ever since Carter was born I've been amazed watching him take in everything around him. What an overwhelming prospect if you really think about. Babies have to learn to walk, talk, and understand the world around them. Ideally, we also want them to learn to have patience, manners, to share, to be kind, to be honest, and we can't forget - to fall asleep on their own and stay asleep until morning!
We as parents have the responsibility of behaving in a way we want our little ones to, to teach when an opportunity presents itself (please, thank you), to guide when they may try their own approach (no we don't hit Johnny on the head because he took your toy), and to learn the clues of when they have had enough and need a break! Luckily though, most of what they need to learn is done by just observing what we do. When in a loving environment they will learn so much all on their own! They are like little sponges that observe everything, process it to the best of their abilities, and use it to help them learn even more.
As they get older they start to take on more of the responsibility of learning themselves. This is when "what" and "why" become their favourite words! They start to consciously decide what they want to learn (while still subconsciously learning). This has become blatantly obvious with Carter lately! The most common phrases I hear from Carter are "why mum?" (and I better give a really good answer or another "why mum?" will follow), "where you going mum?", "what you doing mum?" (he just said that to me now), "what's that mum?", and one of my favourites "what you thinking 'bout mum?"
Carter has most recently started asking "what letter is that?" and "what's that say?" This started with Carter's new fascination with letters and numbers. He has always loved to read but any time we previously tried to teach him a letter he didn't seem interested. I put some stick-on letters on his wall a couple months ago that he loved to look at and sing about, "a-b-c-f-g" while pointing at any letter! Then he started to enjoy playing with a set of magnetic fridge letters. Although he still didn't care what they were, he loved dumping them out of their case on to his train table and tossing them over the studio wall into the front hall. It became a favourite pass time!
Then one day he decided to bring the letters to the table with him while he ate his lunch. They haven't left the table since. Now every time we eat Carter wants to play with the letters and learn what they are. He says "let's learn letters mum!" or "let's set up alphabet mum!" Because he's so interested in the letters we've started putting a new letter on his chalk board every day. We've also pulled out some alphabet flash cards that we used for sign language and he plays with those at the table as well. After 2-3 weeks Carter now knows 21 letters (capital and small).
It is just so amazing to watch him learn and be so interested in it! We went to the grocery store last night and he was asking what every sign said and even what the label on every item said. It opens us up to so many more learning opportunities!
We as parents have the responsibility of behaving in a way we want our little ones to, to teach when an opportunity presents itself (please, thank you), to guide when they may try their own approach (no we don't hit Johnny on the head because he took your toy), and to learn the clues of when they have had enough and need a break! Luckily though, most of what they need to learn is done by just observing what we do. When in a loving environment they will learn so much all on their own! They are like little sponges that observe everything, process it to the best of their abilities, and use it to help them learn even more.
As they get older they start to take on more of the responsibility of learning themselves. This is when "what" and "why" become their favourite words! They start to consciously decide what they want to learn (while still subconsciously learning). This has become blatantly obvious with Carter lately! The most common phrases I hear from Carter are "why mum?" (and I better give a really good answer or another "why mum?" will follow), "where you going mum?", "what you doing mum?" (he just said that to me now), "what's that mum?", and one of my favourites "what you thinking 'bout mum?"
Carter has most recently started asking "what letter is that?" and "what's that say?" This started with Carter's new fascination with letters and numbers. He has always loved to read but any time we previously tried to teach him a letter he didn't seem interested. I put some stick-on letters on his wall a couple months ago that he loved to look at and sing about, "a-b-c-f-g" while pointing at any letter! Then he started to enjoy playing with a set of magnetic fridge letters. Although he still didn't care what they were, he loved dumping them out of their case on to his train table and tossing them over the studio wall into the front hall. It became a favourite pass time!
Then one day he decided to bring the letters to the table with him while he ate his lunch. They haven't left the table since. Now every time we eat Carter wants to play with the letters and learn what they are. He says "let's learn letters mum!" or "let's set up alphabet mum!" Because he's so interested in the letters we've started putting a new letter on his chalk board every day. We've also pulled out some alphabet flash cards that we used for sign language and he plays with those at the table as well. After 2-3 weeks Carter now knows 21 letters (capital and small).
It is just so amazing to watch him learn and be so interested in it! We went to the grocery store last night and he was asking what every sign said and even what the label on every item said. It opens us up to so many more learning opportunities!
Sunday, January 22, 2012
Boring Day = Great Day!
This morning I woke up wondering what we could do today. For once we had 0 plans. What I first thought was going to be a very boring day turned out to be such a great one!
First we had fun having breakfast!
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| My hungry dinosaur (as he likes to call himself)! |
Then we went to visit Gramma and Papa, where he got to wear the dinosaur costume Gramma made! He also dragged papa around the house for about two hours - "let's go some place else, papa!". Hopefully papa had as much fun as Carter did!
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| Cutest dinosaur I've ever seen! |
Then we went home for lunch and a nap (for all three of us!) The rest of the day we got to just hang out and enjoy each others company.
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| Being silly! |
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| Aww...my boys! |
Time to watch Garfield - Pet Force!
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| Flash too bright mum! |
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| Wow! |
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| If Garfield will wear a cape, so will I! |
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| Brushing our teeth! |
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| Being silly washing our hands! |
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| Gotta practice our letters before bed! |
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| Snuggle puppy of mine, everything about you is especially fine! |
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| Night time chat! |
Couldn't have asked for a better day!
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Come Here You Little Turd!
This morning I went out for breakfast with some girlfriends. When I got home Carter was saying "come here you little turd!" Apparently Dan and him were wrestling and Carter ran off, so Dan said that to him. Of course Carter immediately started saying it. Dan tried to tell him he said "come here you little turkey!" but Carter wasn't having it!
Then a couple minutes after I got home Dan said "oh geeze" about something and Carter of course followed suit. He's a little sponge so we really have to watch what we say!
30 weeks down, 10 to go! Pregnancy Update
Hard to believe I'm 30 weeks along now. It's been rough, since about week 7, but I can finally see the light! Today I got to hold my friends perfect little boy who is only two days old and it really made me excited for what's to come. Well, I could skip the whole labour/delivery part, though I hope it goes as quickly as hers did, but what comes after is so worth it all!
Regardless of how awful it's been I feel so blessed to be expecting and to have such a wonderful support system. Dan's still doing most things around the house; though I've managed to make a few dinners over the last week or so. Dan's mom is still coming in the morning whenever I need her and Carter couldn't be a more supportive little guy! He asks a couple times a day if my belly hurts and if I say yes he brings his lovey to me and says "feel better!" He also just accepts it when I say I need to take a break or I can't lift him up. JoJo (that's what we are calling baby Craig for now - it's a character from Carter's favourite movie Horton Hears a Who) is one lucky boy to be getting such a caring big brother!
Now I just need to really start getting stuff ready! JoJo will be taking over Carter's nursery so that part is done, minus a few finishing touches. I've sorted through all of Carter's 0-12 months clothes so now I just need to wash them all. Though, with them being born during opposite seasons I'm not sure how much of Carter's clothes he'll get to wear. So now I'm waiting for the stores to come out with some spring/summer clothes so he won't have to wear fleece pajamas in the summer time! Luckily, another friend gave me a bin of clothes yesterday to borrow and her son was born in March so they will hopefully be more suited for the weather when JoJo is born.
Next on the to do list is to find a monitor that doesn't interfere with Carter's monitor or our WiFi. I'm really hoping to get a video monitor. I bought one at Babies R Us last weekend that was on sale and I LOVE it. The only problem is that it interferes with our internet connection. It wouldn't be a big deal except that once we have two kids, the only time Dan and I will get to check our email/go online is when the kids are sleeping. We also previously tried an Angel Care monitor but it appeared to interfere with Carter's monitor. Back to the drawing board!
Next thing is I have to go through all the baby stuff in the basement still to get out what we'll need (breastfeeding pillow, pump, receiving blankets, bath, car seat, etc). And then I have a bit of shopping to do for little things like newborn diapers, baby book, and a car seat base.
Last, but not least, is to pack our bags for the hospital and for Carter to stay at Gramma and Papa's. Those can wait though!
So all in all we don't have a whole lot to do before JoJo makes his appearance. Luckily I'm feeling pretty good lately in comparison to how I was feeling. I still get sick if I do to much before dinner time but if I take it easy I can get through most days without getting sick. Also, my sciatic pain has let up. I'm sure as JoJo gets bigger I'll start getting more aches and pains but I'm going to enjoy feeling half human while I can!
Regardless of how awful it's been I feel so blessed to be expecting and to have such a wonderful support system. Dan's still doing most things around the house; though I've managed to make a few dinners over the last week or so. Dan's mom is still coming in the morning whenever I need her and Carter couldn't be a more supportive little guy! He asks a couple times a day if my belly hurts and if I say yes he brings his lovey to me and says "feel better!" He also just accepts it when I say I need to take a break or I can't lift him up. JoJo (that's what we are calling baby Craig for now - it's a character from Carter's favourite movie Horton Hears a Who) is one lucky boy to be getting such a caring big brother!
Now I just need to really start getting stuff ready! JoJo will be taking over Carter's nursery so that part is done, minus a few finishing touches. I've sorted through all of Carter's 0-12 months clothes so now I just need to wash them all. Though, with them being born during opposite seasons I'm not sure how much of Carter's clothes he'll get to wear. So now I'm waiting for the stores to come out with some spring/summer clothes so he won't have to wear fleece pajamas in the summer time! Luckily, another friend gave me a bin of clothes yesterday to borrow and her son was born in March so they will hopefully be more suited for the weather when JoJo is born.
Next on the to do list is to find a monitor that doesn't interfere with Carter's monitor or our WiFi. I'm really hoping to get a video monitor. I bought one at Babies R Us last weekend that was on sale and I LOVE it. The only problem is that it interferes with our internet connection. It wouldn't be a big deal except that once we have two kids, the only time Dan and I will get to check our email/go online is when the kids are sleeping. We also previously tried an Angel Care monitor but it appeared to interfere with Carter's monitor. Back to the drawing board!
Next thing is I have to go through all the baby stuff in the basement still to get out what we'll need (breastfeeding pillow, pump, receiving blankets, bath, car seat, etc). And then I have a bit of shopping to do for little things like newborn diapers, baby book, and a car seat base.
Last, but not least, is to pack our bags for the hospital and for Carter to stay at Gramma and Papa's. Those can wait though!
So all in all we don't have a whole lot to do before JoJo makes his appearance. Luckily I'm feeling pretty good lately in comparison to how I was feeling. I still get sick if I do to much before dinner time but if I take it easy I can get through most days without getting sick. Also, my sciatic pain has let up. I'm sure as JoJo gets bigger I'll start getting more aches and pains but I'm going to enjoy feeling half human while I can!
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Decluttering!
Dan's dad came over on Saturday to help Dan build some shelves in the basement. I was thrilled as I was getting sick of looking at the piles on the floor down there. Over the last few weeks we have been selling stuff on Kijiji that we don't need/want any more but it wasn't doing enough to help us get organized. Plus, we have a large number of Rubbermaid bins that are great for storage, but kind of annoying to have stacked on top of each other. Not only do they not hold the weight of each other that great but it's really a pain to get something from the bottom bin. So, papa to the rescue!!
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| Getting started! |
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| Cover your ears! Drill was too loud |
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| Got nails! |
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| Serious business! |
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| Gotta get the measurements right |
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| Finished product - Thanks papa!! |
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| Took about 15 minutes to fill it |
Well, it didn't take long to fill it but it beats having everything on the floor. Now I just have to go through all the baby stuff to figure out what I need for the baby when he first comes home. That should make some room on these shelves and the other ones we have, since almost all of it is baby stuff!
Friday, January 13, 2012
Busy Day!
I love my days with Carter. Sometimes I really wish I could just video tape him all the time so I could some day look back and remember how sweet and innocent he was. The problem is, the minute I start video taping him he usually turns into a goof ball!
Today we gave gramma the day off as our old baby group was going to come over. Although I was feeling rough in the morning getting us ready, Carter made me feel better by how excited he was for his friends to get here. He just kept saying "friend's coming over!" Of course, as soon as they started showing up he turned into a mute and wouldn't leave my side. There was also a few tears over his toys being played with. All in all though it was great to see everyone and Carter still said "that fun" after everyone left and was excited to tell daddy all about it. "Aiden's plate, Kayla slipped, where's Hailey?, etc"
And that didn't include what the kitchen looked like! Luckily Dan came home for lunch shortly after and helped clean up! It was all worth it though to see the little ones as it had been a really long time since that many of them had been together.
Although I managed to get a nap in this afternoon I'm pretty sure Carter didn't. When I fell asleep at 1 he was talking away in his bed and he was still talking when I woke up at 2:30. Now I usually can't sleep through the sounds of him talking over the monitor so I don't know if he did actually sleep or if I was just that tired. Either way he was happy and didn't want to get out of bed when I went to go get him.
After nap time I had to go give a urine sample at the doctors office. Carter and I got ready and got into the van. As we started driving Carter said "be careful mum! Snow on road. Don't slide in to other cars." I swear he remembers every conversation he has! This wasn't one of ours so it was obviously something him and Dan or him and gramma had talked about. On our way home from the doctors I thanked Carter for being so good and listening to me (there were lots of "don't touch anything"'s in the dr's office bathroom that he thankfully listened to). He replied by saying "thank you mum....for taking me there." What a sweet child I have!
Unfortunately some of the sweetness left when we got home. He started doing everything we tell him not to do (which makes me pretty sure there was no nap). At one point he took his little shopping cart and drove it right in to my foot. When I said "Carter! That wasn't very nice. That hurt!" he replied with "Sorry mum, me go round you." Now how could I possibly stay mad!
After dinner we finished the day off with a visit to Kidscape with Carter's cousins. Any energy he had left was completely drained and he was out like a light within 5 minutes of bed time (skipping his now usual chatting for 30-60 minutes before falling asleep). Unfortunately it also tired out Dan who has now gone to 2-3 hours of strength training for jiu jitsu! Lucky guy!
Today we gave gramma the day off as our old baby group was going to come over. Although I was feeling rough in the morning getting us ready, Carter made me feel better by how excited he was for his friends to get here. He just kept saying "friend's coming over!" Of course, as soon as they started showing up he turned into a mute and wouldn't leave my side. There was also a few tears over his toys being played with. All in all though it was great to see everyone and Carter still said "that fun" after everyone left and was excited to tell daddy all about it. "Aiden's plate, Kayla slipped, where's Hailey?, etc"
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| Before playgroup! |
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| Another before shot! |
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| After playgroup! |
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| Another after shot! Clearly someone has too many toys! |
Although I managed to get a nap in this afternoon I'm pretty sure Carter didn't. When I fell asleep at 1 he was talking away in his bed and he was still talking when I woke up at 2:30. Now I usually can't sleep through the sounds of him talking over the monitor so I don't know if he did actually sleep or if I was just that tired. Either way he was happy and didn't want to get out of bed when I went to go get him.
After nap time I had to go give a urine sample at the doctors office. Carter and I got ready and got into the van. As we started driving Carter said "be careful mum! Snow on road. Don't slide in to other cars." I swear he remembers every conversation he has! This wasn't one of ours so it was obviously something him and Dan or him and gramma had talked about. On our way home from the doctors I thanked Carter for being so good and listening to me (there were lots of "don't touch anything"'s in the dr's office bathroom that he thankfully listened to). He replied by saying "thank you mum....for taking me there." What a sweet child I have!
Unfortunately some of the sweetness left when we got home. He started doing everything we tell him not to do (which makes me pretty sure there was no nap). At one point he took his little shopping cart and drove it right in to my foot. When I said "Carter! That wasn't very nice. That hurt!" he replied with "Sorry mum, me go round you." Now how could I possibly stay mad!
After dinner we finished the day off with a visit to Kidscape with Carter's cousins. Any energy he had left was completely drained and he was out like a light within 5 minutes of bed time (skipping his now usual chatting for 30-60 minutes before falling asleep). Unfortunately it also tired out Dan who has now gone to 2-3 hours of strength training for jiu jitsu! Lucky guy!
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Carter's Football Pick
A few weeks ago Dan was doing his football picks and asked Carter if he thought the Broncos or some other team were going to win. Carter said the Broncos, Dan didn't believe him, Dan was wrong!
Sunday night Dan was watching football and Carter jumped up on the couch to watch it with him. Dan told him it was The Broncos vs. the Steelers and that they were rooting for The Steelers. Carter instantly replied, "no dad! Me like the Broncos!" They continued to argue over it for a few minutes (see video).
Dan and I found it quite amusing, and shocking, since these were the only two conversations Carter has about football, yet he was so adament about it. Now if you talk football with Carter he'll let you know he likes the Broncos!
Click here to watch video!
Sunday night Dan was watching football and Carter jumped up on the couch to watch it with him. Dan told him it was The Broncos vs. the Steelers and that they were rooting for The Steelers. Carter instantly replied, "no dad! Me like the Broncos!" They continued to argue over it for a few minutes (see video).
Dan and I found it quite amusing, and shocking, since these were the only two conversations Carter has about football, yet he was so adament about it. Now if you talk football with Carter he'll let you know he likes the Broncos!
Click here to watch video!
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