Oh Carter

I love having a kid.  Yes there are many many trying times, but more times than not, its very rewarding.  Its so fun to teach them new things and see the excitement on their face when they finally figure it out.  Carter is at the age now where every day he is doing something new, learning something, and accomplishing it.  It happens so fast.  I feel like just the other day he turned 3 months old, and now he is almost 4 and a half months old.  Its crazy!  I really need to start doing better with keeping up with this blog because I have no idea what I have already written about.  A few weeks ago, I spent about a week and a half really working with Carter to learn to put himself to sleep.  It was much easier than I thought it would be.  People always tell me that they had to use the Cry it out method, or waited till they were a year old to teach them to put themselves to sleep...or people feed them to put them to sleep.  Nope, not my kid.  I wrap him up, lay him in bed and he goes to sleep.  Sometimes he gets a little fussy so I give him the paci, he will suck on it for a few minutes, spit it out and go to sleep.  I pray he isn't one of those kids that ends up having to have the paci to sleep, but its not looking that way.  Ever since he was born we had to make him take the paci and even then, he would spit it out after a while and didn't want it back.  Thats my boy!  Right now we are definitely going thru a growth spurt!  He is sleeping so much!  Night before last he slept over ten hours and then over 5 hours in naps. He was hardly awake! ha Last night, he only slept 6.5 hours and needed a bottle and then went back to sleep.  SO slept a total of about 10 hours again.  Looks lik we are slowly getting back on the road to sleeping all night.  Oh how I have missed that.  And I can tell Carter does to.  Ever since he stopped sleeping thru the night, he hasn't been his excited, loud self.  Just looked sleepy all the time.  And now, he is starting to bust out of his swaddle more often.  Last night he busted out COMPLETELY and was trying to roll over in the crip.  Only problem is, he wont sleep without being swaddled..so... hmmm... yea looks like that will be our next lesson..sleeping without being wrapped up.  AAHHH  So this last week has been a very trying week for me.  We have our appointment to have Carter's head looked like, which is good, but at the same time I still hate that this is happening.  A lot of people understand what we are going thru and understand that its very normal for this to happen but then there are more people that dont understand, think we have done something wrong, think there is something wrong with Carter.  There is absolutely nothing wrong with my child.  He will grow up just like any other kid, and will be just as smart as any other kid.  And we have done nothing wrong.  Now that parents are supposed to put their kids on their backs to sleep, this is happening more often.  And like I said in previous post, my kid is an amazing sleeper(which most parents can't say) and that is why his head is the way it is.  But on the brighter side, Derrick and I have noticed that it is starting to look a lot better!  We have been working really hard at keeping him off his head except to sleep.  I hope we get to the clinic and the dr says that it doesn't look that bad, and lets give it one more month to see if it will correct itself.  I just really dont want Carter to have to wear a helmet and THEY ARE REALLY EXPENSIVE!!  And if he does have to get one, we will be driving to dallas like every other week to get it refit...and well that will add up too...and to be honest, we dont have that kind of money.  So lets add that to my stress list.  I know God is taking care of us, and he will make it all work.  I am trying so hard not to worry or be upset about it all...but its hard.  Also, now that Carter is sleeping longer during the day, I have so much free time.  YOu can only clean your house so much!  So, I am looking for something to do that can bring in a few bucks to help pay for all of these possible expenses...any ideas?  Well this week will be a fun one, thats for sure.  Today is Dad's birthday, so we are having a little party for him tonight.  The rest of the week, there is no telling... But this weekend is my SIL Baby shower that me and Ashley are hosting.  It should be a lot of fun!  Oh and ASHLEY GOT ENGAGED!  She is so excited, so I need to go see her ring at some point.  WEdnesday, I am having blood work done to check my cholesterol.  It has been extremely high in the past, so I want to see how it is now.  Probably not good.  I am trying to eat better, but its so hard.  And then sunday...is THE BIG DAY!  Our first trip with Carter.  Pretty nervous about the trip in itself.  I just have this feeling he is going to scream the whole two hours there. NO FUN!  And our first stay at a hotel with a baby...hope they dont kick us out! ha  And then the Appointment is Monday morning at 8:45.  Hopefully I have good news after that.  Well I am going to go enjoy the quiet while Carter naps.  Yall have a great day