Fall/Halloween Photoshoot

A few pics of us and our little baby elephant's very first Halloween!

Carter: 2 Months Old

Carter, today you are TWO months old!

Carter Two Months Old!

Since our last monthly check in you started SMILING! And today, you laughed so loud...of course it was when mom was yelling at the dogs.  Good thing you find that funny, because it happens a lot, huh?

You have had your first shots too.  Three jabs and you were very brave.  They made you sleepy, but otherwise no worse for wear.

Speaking of sleep...You still aren't sleeping very long at night, but this past weekend you teased us by sleeping 11pm to 4am two nights in row...haven't had that happen since though.

You also went and visited your Grammi and Poppy up in their new NV home!  You had a little bit of trouble with the altitude the first day or so and covered everyone in loads of icky spit up, but that's ok.  You slept the entire car rides there and home, even with all three dogs in tow.

Carter Michael Bruce, you are such a joy.  Mommy's heart feels like it could positively explode every time I look at you.  You daddy and grandpa's are already picking out your first golf clubs too...are you the next Jack Nicklaus (we'd say Tiger Woods, but he's a bad influence, haha!).

We love you to the moon and back,

Mommy and Daddy

Milestone: First Smile

I got a treat this afternoon...

Our very first...

BIG SMILE!

Is there anything in this world sweeter?

You were laying on a pillow, propped up by my knees on the couch.  We were playing and talking and then you SAID CHEEEEEESE!  I have no clue what I did that was that awesome, but whatever it was, you loved it and gave me some big gummy smiles.

And my heart melted for you like an ice cream cone on a hot summer day.

Then 2 minutes later you got tired from all that smiling, then you went sleeps.

You're the cutest baby that ever was Carter Michael Bruce.

How To Shop With An Infant

Step 1:  Read your favorite fashion blogs and get all excited about the fall trends

Step 2:  Feed the baby

Step 3:  Entertain the idea of going to Nordstrom

Step 4:  Feed the baby

Step 5:  Quickly give up idea of actually going to the store 

Step 6:  Feed the baby

Step 7:  Go online and find the item you want

Step 8: Find 10 more things you want too...like Fringe Booties!

Step 9:  Feed the baby

Step 10:  Order each item in 3 colors and 3 sizes

Step 11:  Charge the credit card for $750+

Step 12:  Text your husband and warn him it looks bad....but it's not THAT bad

Step 13:  You guessed it... Feed the baby

Step 14:  Wait a week for the items to ship...boo!

**Update!  Items arrived and out of everything...10+ pieces, I kept a whopping THREE.  So take that!  Ha!

Good Gifts

Since Carter was born I made an important choice.  I wanted to give him a good gift, a gift only I can give him and only I can take away from him.  A gift that will affect him, the children he will have someday and my husband. 

I am choosing to give him the gift of health.

These people I love are counting on me to do life, life to the fullest, with them.

I've never had it easy when it comes to weight, but I'd be lying if I said I always made the best choices when it comes to food and exercise. I know what to do, but in the moment, making the right decision happens less often than not.  

Being a first time mom at 34 I want to be around a good, long time so help me God.  I want to see him grow up, I want to see his children grow up.  My husband didn't have the joy of grandparents.  I had/have wonderful ones.  I lost my maternal grandmother way too soon, before she could meet my husband, or her 5th great grandbaby.  All of our parents are still here and we love watching them love our son.

I decided that for the first month of being a mommy I wasn't going to worry about my health beyond recovering my my c-section.  We had friends & family bringing sometimes healthy, sometimes not, delicious meals and I didn't have a whole lot of say about what I had in my kitchen to eat most days, and that was OK.  What I did make sure of was that I walked with the baby almost every day for as far as I could go.  The first week home that was maybe 10 minutes around the block and now at 5 weeks we're walking 3 miles most mornings together.

I've been on every program, EVERY program.  I chose the 21 Day Fix program from Beachbody to start my journey back to health(ier) after baby.   It's not that this program is any more magical than another, but it gives me a plan.  I just finished my first 30 minute workout while baby napped.  I had to workout with the 'low impact' gal in the video (holy humbling). I am so inflexible, out of breath and out of shape, but I don't care.  I won't feel that way for long!  I modified the ab portion even more than low impact already did, afraid that my doctor was wrong and sit ups would make my innards spill out (they didn't, ha).

The workouts are all 30 minutes and luckily I know if nothing else when that baby closes his eyes I have at least 30 minutes to get the workout done...plenty of time to better my health.  There's also an eating plan I'm looking forward to embarking  on as well to get my nutrition on point.  

In the spirit of transparency, I gained 36 pounds with my baby.  20 of it is long gone and came off effortlessly once baby arrived.  This leaves me 16 to go to get to my pre-preggo weight, but closer to 40 really to go to get to my goal weight.  I was roughly 20 pounds heavier than I wanted to be when I got pregnant.  Trying to get pregnant I sort of gave up on being healthy figuring I was going to get fat anyways with pregnancy so....wont make that mistake again, having a c-section would have been a lot easier with a flatter, firmer stomach to begin with!

38 weeks pregnant (I only went to 38+6)/3 weeks post partum

Oh, and I'm running a half marathon in March...seemed like a good idea last March (only 4 months preggo mind you) to sign up for...motivation, you know.  Thanks, self!  ACK!

Carter: One Month Old

Carter, today you are one month old!

One Month Old!

I know parents say this all the time, but time has flown by.  I cannot believe you were born an entire month ago.  

We are loving watching you grow up!  Your little newborn clothes that didn't fit a couple of weeks ago are fitting perfectly.   You were swimming in your little footie pajamas and hats and how they are almost too small.

This month you went from just hanging out, sleeping and feeding to being much more alert and awake.  You can grab with your hands and like your baby gym too...kicking the bird is your favorite.

Your signature "Hmmmm" face...

Baby gym!

One month photo shoot!

First bath!

Resting with Dad and Lou

Snuggles with Momma

Your cute sleepy face

More bath time

The best thing is you look us right in the eyes now, especially when we feed you.   You're still sleeping much of the days away, but yesterday you and mommy hung out on your lounger for the first time and you seemed to really like it!

You've been to the barn, met Pongo and gone lots of places like BBQs, church and of course your Grammy J and Grandpa's house.  You have a lot of fans, Mr.  But it's not surprise because you are so adorable...truly a beautiful baby inside and out.  

We can't wait to see what month 2 brings!

Love,

Mommy and Daddy  

Four Weeks of Carter in Pictures!

Week 1

Week 2

Week 3

Week 4

Photobomb...

Louie felt left out...

...he wanted to try this pose too...