Monthly Newsletter: Month Twelve

Dear Colin,

I first must apologize for the despicable delay in this letter. There are so many reasons, all of which are very valid, but we won't go into those right now, just know that I've felt extremely bad about not doing this sooner. Enough about that though, let's get to the good stuff.

Happy Birthday, Little Man. You're a whole year old now. Just think, only 15 more and you'll be begging for a new car.

I'd like to start with a look back, to one year ago, Nov. 28, 2007. Momma went to the doctor for her routine weekly checkup, stopping to pick up Daddy from work on the way. You were breach the whole time, so we already had a c-section scheduled for a week later, you were to be born on December 5th. We had a whole "last weekend" planned, including a trip to the baby store for supplies and reservations at one of Momma's favorite restaurants. The sonogram doctor took one look at the screen and seemed very worried. My amniotic fluid had dropped drastically in the past week and you needed to get out soon. I told him, "We have a c-section planned for next Wednesday." The doctor replied, "I was thinking more like this Wednesday." Daddy and I were in shock. I was admitted to the hospital, we made some frantic calls to loved ones and 6 hours later, you were laying on my chest, the most precious gift I'd ever received. So small, so handsome, so red.

You have grown so much since that day, Little Man. Not only physically, but mentally, personality, and emotionally. You are getting so big and learning so many new things. You never stop exploring and finding new things to fall in love with, or even going back and falling in love all over again with old friends. You're favorite thing to do right now is push you're walker and walk, walk, walk. You rarely stop, and you are wearing Momma out!

You got a new babysitter this month too, the bathtub. You love for me to throw a few of your favorite toys in there, sit you in and let you play for a little while. You've only turned to water on once so far, but it lets Momma take a shower and keep an eye on you at the same time.

One night, while searching for pictures frames, we went to a store where in the very front there was a giant Lion chair. We were standing in an aisle half way across the store and you just kept pointing and "eehing" at something that way, so Daddy took you and sure enough, it was the lion. You would reach out and love on it, lay your head down, climb on it, you just loved the thing, so naturally, the spoiled little man that you are, we got it for you, and you continued loving and climbing for weeks afterwards.

Another new development is that you have become attached to Blanky more than ever. Before you would just sleep with Blanky. He stayed in your crib. But one morning, when I got you out of your crib, you tried jumping out of my arms to get him, so I picked him up and let you take him with you. You carried him with us to breakfast and kept him the rest of the day. Now, he's with you everywhere you go. You've even developed a new game with Blanky. You put him on your head, pull him down, and we yell, "Peek a boo" or while he's on your head we say, "Where's Colin?", you pull him down, and we yell, "There he is!" and you just giggle and smile and have the best time! Now you don't go anywhere without Blanky.

Colin, through the magic of your eyes I feel like I've been given a second chance to experience life. The world has more color because you are looking at it, music is more harmonious because you are hearing it, food taste richer because you are trying it for the first time. I never knew how funny a noise was until you laughed at it; and I get to share in it all. Never has there been a more awed moment in my 28 years than walking into your room late at night to watch you breathe, to feel your life in the air.

Love,
Momma

Thanksgiving

Colin celebrated his first Thanksgiving the day before his first birthday. We had a busy day, and he was a little sensitive around the Carter side of the family, just because he doesn't get to seem them enough. My uncle Eric has taken up photography and got some great candids of Colin.

Poo Pa!

Cousin Emiley-he just didn't like being too far from Momma

In these photos below, Colin was on the floor playing and my uncle got down on his belly to take some photos. He was laying next to a chair my brother, Kenneth, was sitting in. Colin crawled over to the other side of Kenneth's legs and hid from Eric. Then he'd slowly lean over and look at Eric, then pop back up and lean over again. Each time he leaned, he'd lean a little further and smile a little bigger.

Happy Bithday, Little Man

As a write this, you are officially one year old. As of the very minute I post this. You were born at 9:38 p.m. exactly one year ago. How can that be? Where has time gone? I'm so glad I've taken the time to do this online journal, it is so joyus to go back and read about our very busy, fun, blessed year.

I love you so much, Litte Man, you are a dream come to true.

Now that he understands more of what is actually being said, we've recently started having to discipline Colin. By discipline I mean, we have to say "no" every once in awhile. He already doesn't like the word, unless he can use it to his advantage, like tonight.

Brad and I went to eat at a local burger joint called "Chapps." Colin is now eating whatever we eat, so we gave him some chicken from Brad's chicken sandwhich and a little bun. We also took some banana and butternut squash with us. Towards the end of the meal, Colin started shaking his head side to side. We thought he was just trying to not let us get to his mouth by moving his head back and forth, but he kept doing it, even when we weren't trying to give him a bite. And it dawned on us, he was saying "No." As in, I don't want YOU to feed me, I'll feed myself. Because he was still picking pieces up and eating them, he just wouldn't take them from us.

So Daddy asked him, "Colin, yes (nods his head) or no (shakes his head)." Colin stared at him for a minute and then started shaking his head too. It was adorably cute and made us giggle.

Happy Halloween!

We took Colin trick-or-treating to just a few houses of our neighboors last night. Gramma, Grandpa, Gramma L., and GG all came to enjoy the night with us. We decided for his first Halloween, we'd make it a family affair so we all dressed up together, even Henry got in on the action.

We bought Colin's scarecrow outfit from Babies R' Us. Mine was also store bought, but we made Brad's. The suit was poster board, the hat a spray painted funnel, and real bolts made up the buttons on the front. It was a lot of fun, and we are already looking forward to next year.

Getting ready to head out...

When we started out, Colin wasn't too sure about the whole taking the candy from a stranger thing, but he was happy that he had it! By the third house, he was all about picking his own.

It was a late night for the little scarecrow, but he loved to play with the candy. He just kept trying to get into that candy for his first taste of the forbidden food. And of course, by the end of the evening, he got his way (can you say, spoiled?) and had a taste of a tootsie pop. Orange. yum.

And so it begins!

Monthly Newsletter: Month Eleven

Dear Colin,

You are now 11 months old. Just 4 short weeks, and you'll be a whole year. How did that happen? I still can't quite grasp all the changes you've gone through in the past 48 weeks.

This past month you've become an extreme crawler. You have no fear. You will crawl on concrete, over door ways, up the back of the tub, anywhere those cute little legs will take you. You've also started to try and stand up in the middle of the floor. You, of course, can not stand up unless you have something to support your balance, to pull up on, but that doesn't stop you from trying. You don't really show interest in walking just yet, though you will take a few steps on your rolling toy.

You've also learned a few signs and gestures to help you let us know what you do, or do not, want. I've already spoken about your first signs, up and all done, but you also point and say "uhh" when you want to touch something. And there isn't anything you don't want to touch. You are quite possibly the single most inquisitive baby out there. We have to carry you around and hold you up to the alarm panel, the candle holder hanging on the wall in our bedroom, and most important, Momma's necklaces hanging on the wall in our bathroom.

Your favorite thing in the world right now (other than Momma of course) is swinging. Oh my goodness, Daddy and I joke that we need to hire someone to just come and push you on your swing all day and you'd be the happiest baby in the world! You've learned to slide pretty well, and giggle as you do, but nothing compares to that swing. You throw a fit when we come back in. Daddy says your spoiled.

You've been eating your solids much better, I've been experimenting with different combinations of your favorite foods, and you seem to like them. Right now you really like carrots and applesauce combined, and a veggie stew that has peas, carrots, potato, sweet potato, broccoli, and onion. You gobble them down! We've also gotten you pretty much bottle weaned at this point, you are down to 1 or 2 bottles a day, always at bedtime and sometimes one at nap time. You really seem to enjoy your sippy cup. Speaking of sippy cups, you had your first taste of juice this past month too, you seem to be a bigger fan of the grape than the apple. And you have a new favorite snack, though Cheerios are still high on the list, you really like your baby Goldfish crackers.

Another big first for you this month was shoes! It's getting colder and you are getting more mobile, so it was time. We bought you a couple of pair and of course you immediately play with them. "What are these monstrosities this woman keeps putting on my feet?!?"

Another great love, that I almost forgot, (HOW, I don't know because YOU NEVER forget)...your water. I wash the dishes and put that water on the sprayer function and you come crawling ninety to nothing, pulling on my pants, "Uhhh, uhhh," doing your sign for up. And, of course, I give in, you put your hands under the stream and you just get the biggest smile on your face.

You have brought so much to my life. I am so grateful for everyday I have with you. I am so thankful to have you here, to have your giggles and babbles echo through the house, the noise of your life in my ears, my precious son, my Little Man.

Love,
Momma

Brrr

As the weather gets cooler here, we are finally able to start dressing Colin in some of the cute cold weather clothes I've been buying up lately. See how cute he is? The last one is his sign for "Up!"

The Pumpkin Patch...and an Update!

Last Saturday we took Colin to his first pumpkin patch, and we had a great time! I'll have to post those details and photos another day, but today I wanted to post some great pictures from a pumpkin patch we visited yesterday with our Mommies group. We got some terrific photos I just had to share! Those are a bunch of Colin's friends. Please note in the last photo all the others are sitting nice and still for the group photo and my little man is off and running!

I also wanted to update you all on something else very exciting. Most of you know we've been teaching Colin "baby signs." It is basically sign language for babies, so they can communicate better with us dumb adults. There is a sign for "all done" where you shake both of your hands in the air. I do this several times a day to signify that we are done doing a particular task. On Monday when I was putting Colin to bed, we finished reading our book and I said "All done," and made the sign...and Colin did too! He shook his little hands right along with me. And he didn't stop there. The next day I feed him breakfast and when he finished, I said "All done?" and made the sign, he just looked at me. I said "More?" and made the sign for that, again, he just stared at me. So I said, "All done?" and made the sign again, this time he made the sign too, and then made his sign to be picked up (reaching both arms in the air and open and closing his fists). Needless to say, we are very excited, it is going to help tremendously knowing what our little guy is trying to tell us!

Stay tuned for more pictures from the other pumpkin patch, the state fair, and our vacation last month!