Pumpkin Picture Overload

So remember the first day of fall when I was talking about letting Carter paint a pumpkin?  I thought Ty might not think it was a good idea, but when I told him, he was all in.  He picked up a pumpkin for us last night and we went to town with the pumpkin today.  I'm glad it worked out to do it when Ty was home because it was definitely a 2 person job.  One person taking pictures, which was Ty, and one person making sure Carter didn't get paint in his mouth, which was me. 

This leaf looks delicious!

Crafting with Carter is one of my favorite things to do.  Carter first experienced paint in February at 2 months old making Valentine's Day cards.  Through all of my experiences using paint with Carter I was most concerned he would put his hand(s) in his mouth covered with paint and ingest the paint.  I was pleasantly surprised when he was so interested in painting the pumpkin he try to put his hand in his mouth at all.  The only problem was when he grabbed some grass and a leaf and tried to put them in his mouth with a hand covered in paint!  Between the cuteness of Carter painting the pumpkin, Ty's amazing photography skills, and our fabulous new camera I just couldn't pick a few pictures, so be prepared for picture overload!

Just getting started.

I love the handprints on the pumpkin!

RAR!!!!

This is a great picture to end on.  True happiness!

Carter's First Masterpiece

Most of you already know that I'm slightly, scratch that majorly, obsessed with Carter's handprints and footprints.  I've made a handprint or footprint craft with him for every holiday.  We made Christmas ornaments when he was about 5 days old and then Valentine's Day cards when he was 2 months old, more about those here.  Next we did shamrocks for St. Patrick's day, here, bunnies for Easter, here, and Mother's Day cards here.

The other day after we had created our most recent art project for Father's Day (more to come later), I got to thinking.  With all of the paint Carter has had slathered on his hands and feet, the poor boy has only ever gotten to make what I wanted him to.  I figured it was about time for him to make a masterpiece of his own and that he did.

We started out using his high chair.  I was surprised that he didn't put his whole hand down on the paper.  Instead he put fingers down a few at a time and then he'd use his fingernails to scratch the paint around.  He was more interested in playing with the paper than getting paint on the paper.  Lucky for me, playing with the paper resulted in paint getting slathered all over it.

The whole time he was painting I was really worried he would put his hands in his mouth, but he showed me up by shoving the paper in his mouth.  Thank goodness he did it with the blank part of the paper, but after that I decided to put him in my lap so I could have more control over where the paper went.

I love the finished project, Carter's first masterpiece!  In some places you can make out his fingerprints.  I also like where the colors mixed together and made a grayish color.  My favorite part is the bottom left corner where you can see his fingernail scratches.  Of course I had to find a frame to put it in right after it dried and I've already picked out where I'm going to hang it (well, have Ty hang it for me).  We have a wall in the hallway that will become Carter's masterpiece wall.  Does my heart good!

Carter's First Easter

All dressed up and posing with his Easter goodies!

Wednesday my mom called to ask what our plans were for this weekend.  Ty had a race he was already registered for, so we were planning on staying in town.  She suddenly had a strong desire to be with Carter for his first Easter, so my parents decided to visit us.  Thomas also came.

We had a great day.  When Carter got up I took him into his room and we played just the two of us while Ty boiled eggs to dye later.  I always love Carter/mommy time!  My dad woke up and came in to play with us and the fun for the day began.

The Easter Bunny brought Carter lots of goodies!  His Easter basket was filled with some items he needed, a couple of books, and a stuffed animal.  He now has 6-9 month long-sleeved white onesies, a travel wipe container for his diaper bag, two more pairs of cloth diapers, and a couple new pacifiers.  From his Hurford Grandparents he got two books and a rabbit stuffed animal.  

Last weekend he received goodies from his Cox Grandparents.  Thanks to them he is stocked up on summer clothes!  I look at the clothes and can’t believe how soon he will fit into them.  Time sure flies!  He also got an adorable singing stuffed animal toy from his Cox Great Grandparents. 

  

After all of the Easter basket fun he and I prepared for a run and my dad decided to go with us.  It was a perfect, sunny, 70 degrees.  We enjoyed an easy run at conversational pace.  When we returned, we ate a delicious Easter lunch prepared by Ty, my mom, and Thomas.  Afterward Carter and I created another holiday craft this time using his feet.  We made Easter bunnies.  They turned out pretty darn cute!

Dying Easter eggs came next.  Carter was in the middle of the table on a blanket as we all sat around him and dyed our eggs.  Well Ty only dyed half of an egg and then decided to crack it open and eat it.  Carter smiled, and cooed while kicking his legs and looking around.

Last year on Easter we had The Car Ride That Changed Our Lives.  That day, April 7^th, as we drove home from visiting Ty’s family we had the conversation that ultimately led to Carter.  It seems like that was forever ago, but at the same time I can’t believe it has been a whole year.  How blessed we have been in the short time since that day!

Carter’s first Easter was a great one!  What did you do for Easter?

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

My obsession with holiday crafts created with Carter's precious, little hands and feet continues!  We used his handprints to create shamrocks and they turned out pretty adorable if I may say so myself.  Happy St. Patrick's Day!  I will be enjoying my day with my little lucky charm!  I feel like a kid at Christmas because tomorrow is the first day of Spring Break!

 

Crafting with Carter

I have always loved making fun and pretty crafts to decorate our home.  My house is filled with pinterest inspired wall hangings and decorations.  Now that Carter has come along, I am loving the chance to create crafts and presents with him.  I have especially enjoyed creating holiday themed crafts.

For Christmas we created salt dough ornaments using Carter’s handprint and footprint.  We made the ornaments when he was about 5 days old.  I will treasure them forever.  I already can’t believe how small his hands and feet once were!  When we first started making the ornaments he screamed each time I put his hand or foot into the dough.  That was rough for both mommy and daddy!  We quickly realized the trick was to warm the dough up so it wasn’t cold when we put his hand/foot in it.  After that he just slept through making them with no trouble at all.

The recipe we used was:

·         2 cups flour

·         1 cup salt

·         1 cup water

We rolled the dough into balls and then used a rolling pin to flatten it out.  Then we baked the ornaments at 200 degrees for 3 hours.

I am so in love with handprint/footprint crafts.  I know I will love looking back and seeing how small my little man once was!  For Valentine’s Day we made a footprint craft present for grandparents and for Ty.  I found the idea here.  Then I tweaked it a little bit.  I used frames with a large mat instead of a canvas like she did.  This probably wouldn’t work unless you have a very new baby or a custom sized mat.  Carter’s feet barely fit and he was 2 months old at the time.  We took the same idea and created cards for aunts, uncles, and great grandparents.  We also did a Valentine’s Day photo shoot so we could include adorable photos of Carter!  

I used a red stamp pad from Michael’s and just used baby wipes to clean his feet when we were finished.  The trickiest part was that Carter likes to roll his toes up.  I would make his footprint and then look down and there would be no toe marks!  Then I would have to unroll his toes and press them down above the footprint.  He is a tricky little baby!

My latest project wasn’t a craft, it’s a decoration.  I wanted to save Carter’s going home from the hospital outfit and I saw this cute idea here.  I decided to make a shadow box and add his hospital bracelet too.  I love it!

I’m looking forward to our next project, whatever it may be!