A Letter to Carter at 2 Months

I’m finally up-to-date and current with what is going on in our home and with Carter, woo hoo!  Today is Carter’s 2 month birthday and it also happens to be Valentine’s Day, so much love in this momma’s heart today!  We did a Valentine's Day shoot and a 2 month shoot, so many photos to share!  I’m also excited to share our letter to Carter.

 These days you are all about sitting up.  When you are awake you want to be propped up either with a pillow so you can sit up, in my lap up against my stomach, or in a chair.  Every once in a while you will lie down and just look around, but those times are few and far between!  When you are lying down you prefer to be in your crib either watching your mobile or staring at the high contrast cards (found here) I taped to the sides of the crib for you.  You also have one taped to the wall by your changing table which you love!  You aren’t much of a fan of tummy time anymore.  I think it mostly has to do with your interest in sitting up.

Sitting up like a big boy!

You still love looking into mirrors.  You also like looking at faces.  When I have you in my lap and propped up against my stomach to sit you like to twist your head around to look at me.  I love it!  Now you will look right into my eyes and boy does it melt my heart!  

You also love staring at lights.  I thought you would like to be outside in the sun since you like lights so much, but I was wrong.  It was 65 degrees one day, so I took you outside and you did not like it.  You squinted and squirmed.  The sun was just too bright so I took you in the front yard where there is more shade and you loved that!  

You just couldn't keep your eyes open.  We need baby sunglasses!  You have sensitive eyes just like mommy!

Grabbing things is also something you enjoy doing.  I like to place things in your hand and have you grab onto them.  Sometimes you will even move your arm, swinging around what I put in your hand.  This morning when I put your car seat in the car I looked down and you were holding onto the blanket I had put over you.  While we were driving you reached up and batted your toy hanging from the car seat handle.  I can’t believe how much you have grown!

You have a firm grip on your blanket!

In the mornings after daddy gets up to get ready for work and I have fed you, we go back to bed.  I let you sleep in bed with me and it’s one of my favorite parts of the day.  You cuddle up to me and rest your hands on my chest to keep them warm.  I sleep close enough to you so I can rest my lips on the top of your head and kiss you over and over.

You love it when I read to you!

I took you on your first shopping trip this past week.  We went to Michael’s and Dollar Tree because I needed to get materials for Valentine’s Day presents.  When we got home we made some Valentine’s Day cards and projects together using your footprints.  You didn’t like it too much because your feet got cold, but you were a good sport.  You really are an agreeable baby!  We have also made a trip to Wal-Mart.

Looking at one of your high contrast cards in your crib.  They can be found here.

We visited daddy at work after you got your shots.  You loved the large fluorescent lights and stared at them most of the time.  You also made a trip to mommy’s work to visit some of her friends.  You were a big hit at both places.  Everyone comments on how much you look like your daddy!  They all say you are like a miniature Ty!

You are daddy's mini me.

You smiled at me twice in one day.  The kind of smile where you looked right at me and even smiled with your eyes.  I was so excited for daddy to see.  When he got home I told him to talk to you and I turned you so that you could see him.  You looked right at him and gave him a big frown.  You are such a silly boy!  You haven’t smiled or frowned since, but I know you will soon!

You were awake for the first time on a run with me and daddy.  You had your eyes open and looking around the whole time.  You were so cute; I just couldn’t stop looking at you!  It was really windy and I felt bad for you because the wind was blowing tears out of your eyes.  You didn’t seem to mind and just looked around curiously.

You are getting to be very vocal and like to “talk” to us.  You will coo and make noises.  You will also make this sound that is similar to a cry when you want something or when you want to get our attention.  And boy do you want attention!  You love to be held and you really love to snuggle.  If you are awake you want to be held most of the time.

Sitting with grandpa.

You actually seem to like your baths now.  You will sit and look around.  You also like to get your feet on the edge of your tub and push.  We’ve even started doing baths just me and you.  Now we do baths every night as part of our bedtime routine.  We use soap twice a week and the other days we just use a washcloth and water to clean off. 

We are working on getting onto a schedule.  You are really consolidating your sleeping into naps.  It’s amazing how quickly everything is changing.  You normally wake up for the day around 9 or 10 am and you stay awake anywhere from 45 minutes to 2 hours.  Then you take a morning nap that lasts 1-1.5 hours.  When you wake up you stay up anywhere from 2-3.5 hours and then take a 1-2 hour nap.  When you wake up from that nap you are normally awake for 3 hours before we start our bedtime routine, we try to start it around 8:30 or 9:00, and go to bed.   

Bedtime has become a lot more pleasant for us.  You tend to go to sleep around 10 or 11 and wake up to eat at midnight.  Then you sleep for 3-4 hours and wake up to eat, sleep another 2-3 hours, wake up to eat, then sleep for another 2 hours or so (that’s when we sleep in bed together).

We have moved from newborn diapers to size 1 diapers.  You can still wear newborn clothes, but the 0-3 month and 3 month clothes fit a little better.  You have short legs and I put your pants below your belly, so newborn pants fit much better than 3 month pants.  Your newborn onesies are pretty   snug and are sometimes difficult to get over your head.  I prefer for you to wear 0-3 month onesies with newborn pants.  When you wear 3 month pants we roll the waistband a couple times to help them fit.  My favorite outfit for you this month is your tie onesie that you got for Christmas from a student in my class and your navy blue newborn pants.  You look so handsome!

My favorite outfit this month.

You were such a good boy at your doctor’s appointment again.  You even rolled over from your tummy to your back and the doctor saw you.  He was very impressed!  You are now 22.8 inches long, up from 22.3 inches at your one month appointment.  That puts you at the 48^th percentile.  You are now 11 pounds 15 ounces, up from 8 pounds 10 ounces at your one month appointment.  That puts you at the 60^th percentile!  Your head circumference is 37.5 cm, up from 35.5 cm at your one month appointment.  That puts you at the 9^th percentile. 

Look at all those band aids from your shots.  I felt so bad for you!

You got your shots and you were a very brave boy.  You cried when you got the shots and for a while after, but by the time I had you packed up and we walked out of the room you were done and then you fell asleep in the car on the ride home.  When we got home you woke up and cried.  I tried giving you a pacifier and you took it for the first time ever.  You were holding onto it with one hand and when it fell out, you pushed it back in.  It was pretty cute!  I always forget you can't rotate videos on my phone, so sorry about the view!

I am so thankful that I still have 3 weeks at home with you.  I know it’s going to be hard to go back to work, but it is the best thing for our family.  You will love your daycare and I’m sure you will enjoy making new friends.  I know I’ll miss you like crazy all day, but we will love our evenings and weekends together.  Not to mention summer break!

Dad here, every time that I come home from work it seems that you have grown so much and learned so much from the day before. Your mom has done such a wonderful job with you during the day helping you develop your brain and all of your new skills.

Every day that I get home and walk through the front door, Harper and Halle greet me with wagging tails and happy barks, so happy to see me. Now I can’t wait until you can run to the door to greet me when I get home from work.

Mom mentioned that you got to come see me at work. I can’t wait until you are old enough to get excited to watch the presses and other machinery run. That is one of my favorite memories of my childhood.