One Year Old!

Being a parent is a gift.  It teaches you so many things; how to find pleasure in the smallest things, how to see the world in a new way, how to function on little to no sleep!!  Among all the other things I have learned being a parent, the most important is how to love unconditionally.  These little people grab hold of your heart and you feel a love that you did not even know was possible, sometimes it is completely overwhelming.  When I found out I was pregnant with Carson, one of my (many) fears was not knowing if the intesity of love would be the same as it was the first time around.  Would I love him as much as Wil?  The pregnancy was so different, would my feelings be?

Pregnant women are crazy!

I am SO in love with Carson.  He has completed our little family, he makes me smile so many times in a day.  He amazes me in ways that I can not begin to describe.  He has the most beautiful big brown eyes, a smile that can light up a room (and make anyone else smile), the best little laugh, and a devilish streak that I know is going to be trouble as he continues to grow. There is so much love in my heart that it can bring me to tears sometimes.  I am so lucky to have been blessed with my two little guys (and the big guy too) and this past year has been amazing.

So on May 3rd, Carson turned ONE!!  That is right, ONE!  I think it went even faster this time around.  My baby is no longer a baby (well he will always be my baby, but you know what i mean!)

At One Year Old Carson:

• can get around very well crawling or walking with help, he is attempting longer stretches between obstacles and sometimes will stand on his own for a second or two
• is still the happiest little man ever
• eats and eats and eats and eats... pretty much anything you put in front of him.  Handfuls are the norm, he is not delicate with his meals
• makes lots of noise... starting to make possible "words", but we aren't always sure.  He mama's, but not always at me, he tries to say "banana" but it sounds more like "yayaya", he makes fabulous car and boat noises, he can make elephant sounds and sometimes moo. 
• can throw a wicked tantrum when he doesn't get his way (not looking forward to the twos with this!)
• is showing his understanding of the world and how things work.  He will brush his hair or his teeth (or your hair or teeth) with appropriate brushes, can follow simple instructions, use objects the way they were meant to be, "talk" on toy phones, try to jam keys in doors, likes utentsils for eating and other things along those lines.
• can throw a ball, play "catch" and hit balls with hockey sticks and golf clubs
• loves to give hugs and big, slobbery kisses (to people, toys and books)
• "reads" books on his own, and brings them to someone to read to him and he definately has his favourites.
• can "toot" on purpose and thinks it is hilarious... he tries to make himself do this during diaper changes and in the tub and sometimes grunts and pushes so hard I am a bit worried about what else he is going to make come out!!  (I am surrounded by boys, so I am sure toilet humour is going to play a role in my future).
• after he burps, will also try to burp on purpose and make funny little fake burp noises and laugh his head off (of course then Wil does too and again, I am reminded of the fact that I am surrounded by boys)
• still adores his big brother and always wants to do whatever he is doing. 
• SLEEPS... yes, sleeps.  After almost 11 months of incredibly inconsistent sleep and a few nights of work (well researched and planned out sleep "training" to acheive maximum results with minimal crying) Carson is a good sleeper. No, wait, I would even say a great sleeper.  He has two consistent naps each day, and sleeps for 11+ hours each night. After his bottle, and a cuddle he rolls right over and falls alseep, some nights even pushes you away and reaches for his crib.  If he does stir in the night, often we will only hear a whimper or one small cry and he goes right back to sleep with no help from us.  This has made a world of difference for all of us. 

It has been a whirlwind of a year, with ups, downs and everything in between, but it has been amazing.  He is just a perfect little man, and we could not love him more if we tried.

Carson John - hours after being born

One Month Old

Two Months Old

Three Months Old

Four Months Old

Five Months Old

6 Months Old

7 Months Old

8 Months Old

9 Months Old

10 Months Old

11 Months Old

ONE YEAR OLD!!

(and just for the record, this is my new favourite face!  Carson makes this face when you tell him to say "cheese".  I love the little wrinkled nose!)

We look forward to all the years to come and to watching our littlest man grow into the person he is going to become, we know he will be someone pretty special!