Catching Up on the Boys.

Owen is now 7 weeks weighing in at 12.1 pounds and Carter turned 18 months.

The past two weeks with Owen has been full of ups and downs. Last week my post would have been titled "the honeymoon is over" and this week we're on the "up and up." He's not at all like Carter I'm learning and hates being in his car seat and doesn't care for the binkie. When I go out instead of being in the stroller I'm now using the baby bjorn to carry him. Good and bad things about this, it frees up space in the shopping cart, but makes it difficult to bend down to pick up things and the extra ten pounds recs havoc on my back. But I'm grateful that he likes to be held and snuggled and I really do enjoy the moments when he snuggles on my chest and coos.

Some nights he'll sleep 7-8 hours and other nights he only goes 3-4 hours. Just when I think we're in a routine he'll throw me a curve ball and mix things up. I'm still working on the EASY (Eat, Activity, Sleep and You time) schedule from Baby Wise, or maybe it's from the Baby Whisperer, I can't really remember, and it seems to be working out just fine. Each night Owen gets a bath and I think he actually enjoys them now and it's helping to establish a bedtime routine and let him distinguish between day and night. Still no smile from Owen, I keep waiting for it, but I have to remember he was four weeks early so he might take longer to do things. He's more content these past few days in the swing and by himself. Which is a relief. Last week he wanted to be held all day long, so I'm relieved that I can finally put him in the crib to watch the mobile, or in the swing so I can shower. All in all, he's a pretty content little guy that prefers to be snuggled. Owen makes the cutest "Mike" face. Where he crinkes his forehead and it looks just like Mike's Dille bumps. I actually think Owen looks more like Mike than me.

Just a few accomplishments and moments to share from Carter this past week.

1. Using his lion scooter as a stool to launch himself into the portacrib where Owen was sleeping. Lucky for us he landed next to Owen, rather than on top of him.
2. Pushing the kitchen chair across the kitchen up against the wall, then climbing the chair to reach the light switch to turn the lights on and off.
3. Sharing. When Owen cries Carter runs to his room and brings out two binkies, one in his mouth and then tries to "share" his other binkie with Owen.
4. Grandma Dille bought Carter a farm book where you press the animal and it makes their farm noise. Carter never seems to press it hard enough so he grabs your finger and pushes it with my finger. Now he's decided that every book should make a noise and insists to use your finger to point at everything.
5. Climbing into the bath tub by himself. I turned on the bath water, then turned around to get something to then look back and find Carter with all of his clothes on sitting in the bathtub playing in the water as it came out of the faucet.
6. Carter has figured out how to climb onto our bed, a large accomplishment for a little guy considering our bed is a log bed Mike made in college and it is abnormally tall. Not only did he make his was onto our bed, he then crawled to the end of the bed threw his arms up like an gymnast as if to say, "ta-dah."
7. Wiggles. Yes, the Wiggles, we are now big fans of the Wiggles in our home. Today Carter watched about 20 minutes and even managed to get up and dance. Thank you crazy Australian man group for entertaining Carter and allowing this mommy 20 minutes alone.
8. My favorite moment this week... I was nursing Owen and Carter climbed onto the couch next to me to give me a kiss and some love, then waved goodbye, got off the couch and off he went. I believe Carter has accepted Owen and the time I spend nursing. Thank you little man, I love you too.
9. A lot of holiday shopping with grandma and mommy. He was a trooper for the most part and was happy just to be in his stroller. He loves the stroller so much he even climbs in himself and then kicks his feet and claps his hands to let you know he's ready to go.
10. Conquered nursery at church. He ran in and never looked back... ah... freedom at church.

We put up Christmas decorations this week and Carter is a big fan on the Christmas lights.