December.

I realized this week that my last post was in November, and here it is December 14. Sorry about that family... I know you are most likely anxiously awaiting a few more pictures of our two growing little men.

Carter still loves the dogs. He drags them everywhere. Steiger was cold and for once didn't mind Carter sitting in his kennel with him.

Owen 8 weeks.
Trying out the baby sling. He looks a little cramped. Sleeping in our bed. He still has all of his hair and dark complexion.

Carter wearing my shoes and telling me about it.

Caught in the act. So much for my alphabeticalized dvd's. What you don't see here is the dog who then tracked mud all over the carpet and through the dvd pile.

The last two weeks have been action packed and I really feel like I haven't had a moment to myself. Both boys being so young are really giving me a run for my money and I have to admit I'm a little overwhelmed. For the most part Owen has been pretty happy, until the "bewitched" hours, between 5 and 7 pm, he cries and only wants to be held, while at the same time Carter goes from one melt down to another, also wanting to be held. If only I had another set of arms and some really good ear plugs. :) I keep telling myself things will get better. I'm really starved for a good routine. Not even a schedule, I would take a good routine. Just to have some sort of structure would help me make it through the day and night. The past two weeks I've been very grateful for playgroups. An excuse to leave the house and go somewhere for both Carter and I to do some socializing. So we're not just hanging out in the house all day. I even think Owen likes being out with new things to look at.

Owen still isn't smiling, and I have to keep reminding myself that he was four weeks early and therefore is four weeks behind on the "normal" development. But you always wonder and compare. All I want for Christmas right now is for Owen to look at me and smile. To some how acknowledge me as his mommy, as the person who stays up with him at night, changes his diapers, feeds him and holds him all day.

Carter is still getting into trouble and is a little more defiant each day testing his boundaries as always. But he still sleeps like a champ and this I am grateful for. I can always rely on a good afternoon nap and he's actually starting to sleep in a little, always a solid 10-12 hours each night. He's also been very flexible this past week. Between both Mike and I and trying to run last minute errands, including a 9:30 trip to Wmart after the ward Christmas party, he's hung in there with the best of us and has had a good time looking at all of the holiday decorations every where we go.

As for Mike and I. Mike is still working a lot, trying to cram everything in before taking a break for Christmas. He actually spent some time on Saturday laying carpet for a neighbor. I believe on Sunday morning when he woke up pretty sore, he was glad that he no longer lays carpet for a living, like in college, and appreciated his desk job a little more. :) Have I mentioned how handy he is? For me, I was able to make it to the gym twice last week, thanks Stacie! We both put up Christmas decorations, although with two babies, we only manged to put up about half of what we normally do. I finally finished my baby shower thank you cards over the weekend and was able to send out most of our Christmas/birth announcements. I also tackled the never ending laundry pile (thank you Mike for helping with this), changed sheets, cleaned bathrooms and the kitchen, and the good news is, I'll get to do it all over again in a few days. The never ending battle of being a mommy I assume. I had one of those weekends where everything just catches up with you and so do the post-partum hormones. Mike was wonderful this weekend, supportive, loving and attentive to both the kids and me. He even took us out for lunch to Chick-fil-a. What a great guy. Here's to another week of doing it all over again.