Hip Hip Hooray!

I am so happy to announce that Carson is sleeping on his own! Last night he woke up twice, but he put himself back to sleep and that was all before midnight. Well, he'll fall asleep sitting up, so I have to go check on him and if he is sitting up, I have to go lie him down, which makes him upset. We put him to bed at 8:30 now and he sleeps until 8:30 in the morning. It's wonderful! I think I am more tired now that I am actually getting some sleep. Here is a little bit about the whole adventure. This whole thing was tiring, but worth it!

Friday, May 23 (night one): It wasn't so bad. We let him cry, which he did a lot of. He would cry and then 5 minutes we would go in there and talk to him and give him a hug and lye him back down. Then we would do it after 10 minutes, but he usually fell asleep before we went in for the second time. He cried often though. I bet we were up at least 6 or 7 times and went in after 5 minutes and then he'd be asleep before one of us would get in there a second time.

Saturday, May 24 (night two): Was little better sleeping wise, but he scared the crap out of us. He was crying so hard that he threw up on his back. I was so afraid that he would aspirate it. He actually started choking on it, so we had to get him out of bed and slap his back until he cried, but I don't know if he actually choked on the throw up or if he was crying so hard he was still choking, but it scared us. We had to change his pj's and then his bed sheets. He even fell asleep standing up while lying he head on edge of his crib.

Sunday, May 25 (night three): Was a nightmare!! He would NOT stop! He cried and cried from midnight until 6am. Finally we brought him into our room and put him in our bed and all three of us slept until 9:30 that morning. He threw up again this night as well. I think he knows exactly what gets mom and dad to come and pick him up, so he attempted his crying pyrotechnics again. I've been reading a lot about this from "What To Expect For The First Year" and it says that if you attempt these "crying it out" techniques on them that they are wise enough to know what gets mom and dad back into the room. The hard thing about this was, was he would get more angry if you came into the room and then went back out, which would make him cry harder and longer, but we were so scared because of the whole throwing up thing.

Monday, May 26 (night four): Was nice. He put up quite a fuss before we put him down, but he only woke up 4 times. I cheated. I hugged him and then lied him back down while still hugging him. I was practically throwing my leg over the crib to keep my cheek pressed against his. I was the only one who could calm him down last night.

Tuesday, May 27 (night five): Went really well! I am excited to tell you that. We put him into bed about 8:30. He had his blanket and a new stuffed animal that we bought him that we have taken every where with us during the day, so it was always with him. We fed him at 6, put him in the bath, let him play a little, drank a bottle, Dave read him some stories, and we put him down at 8:30. He cried for about 15 minutes and then went to sleep. He woke up twice before 9:30 but he cried himself back to sleep really fast. Then he woke up at midnight. I had to go get him and hug him and then lie him down and he cried, but he went back to sleep. Then he woke up 5 in the morning and cried. We had to go in twice, but then he slept until 9:30! He did really well!

Wednesday, May 28 (night six):Night 6 went great! He only woke up twice. He cried for 10 minutes the first time and put himself back to sleep. The second time, he wouldn't settle down, so I went in there and hugged him and tucked him back in and he cried for about 2 minutes after I left the room and he went right to sleep. We have been putting him to bed at 8:30 and he sleeps until 9am. It's great. I just hope within the next few nights he'll just put himself back to sleep both times. The three nights we have also followed a very strict schedule, so that's my advice to anyone.

9am- Wake up and play
10am- Eat breakfast
12- Nap
2- Lunch
6- Dinner, then bath, then play, then read books
8:30- Bed

Thrusday, May 29 (night 7): Was already discussed in the first paragraph of the blog.

"Ferberizing"

The past 2 nights Dave and I have been teaching Carson how to fall asleep on his own. It's been a hard thing to do, but we aren't getting any sleep at night, so we are attempting the "Ferberizing" technique. Carson learned how to fall asleep on his own at 8 weeks old. As the flu season went on, Carson was sick numerous times, needing mom and dad to come and save him in the middle of the night. Well, it became a routine and so he wakes up and cries until mom and dad comes to get him. The first night was hard. He would cry and I would get up with him after 5 minutes and go and comfort him but not pick him up. Then after 10 minutes I would go in and comfort him and leave again. Usually he would fall asleep again before the 10 minute mark. He would wake up a lot though and cry for a bit then go back to sleep. Last night was worse. He knew what he was in for. He got so upset that he would stand up and cry in his crib. He started to gag and so I gave him a hug, which settled him down and layed him down on his back. He then threw up from crying so hard and started to choke on his own throw up. It went everywhere. We had to change his sheets and his pj's...not to mention my pj's. I picked him up and started hitting his back because he was choking so hard. He started to cry again and I knew that he was okay. It was scary. So we changed his bed sheets and his pj's and then attempted to start over again. I didn't want to. I wanted to quit and go get his carseat and forget the whole ferberizing thing.Yet, I knew we had to keep pressing forward. We calmed him down and put him back into his crib. This video tells you the rest of the story. It's hilarious! He fell asleep standing up. It was so cute. Keep wishing us luck. Sorry that the video is so dark. It's not that way on our camera or computer, but when we uploaded it onto youtube it went really dark. He keeps dozing off! It's so precious. We were laughing so hard. He would fall asleep and start slipping off the edge of the crib. We put him on his back after and he slept the rest of the night because he was so tired!

Getting Braver

Carson is everywhere! He used to stay in one room, play on certain piece of furniture and now he's going all over the place. I now understand the phrase, "Don't hope they grow up too fast". Even though we are tired of all the running around, we can't be upset at Carson for being braver than he used to be. On Thursday, Dave and I sat across from eachother about 4 feet apart on the floor, walking Carson back and forth to see if he would walk a little. After a few tries, Dave and I got Carson to let go and take 3 steps on his own! We were so excited. Yet, when he realized that no one was holding onto him anymore, he immediately sat down. We tried to get him to do it again, but he would lean backwards. Well today I had him going really fast while he was holding onto my pointer fingers on both hands and I slipped my fingers out and he kept going!!! He took at least 7 or 8 steps, stood there for a minute trying to balance as if he was on a surf board and fell down on his bum. It's so funny when he realizes that no one is holding him anymore because he starts to fuss a little and then falls down on his butt. You can never get him to do it again after you attempted to let go, or he'll just sit down. He's a smart little boy. I guess we'll just have to do little by little. On Thrusday night after Carson took those 3 stesp Dave said, "I am going to count that as his initial first steps". He was so excited. He is taking steps, but he's not walking on his own yet for sure. We are so proud! Way to go Carson!

Visiting Grandpa

Today, my sister and I took Carson to visit his Grandpa at work. My dad is an English teacher out at Cyprus High School. That is where my brother in law Doug M. went to school. He didn't know my dad though. My dad was so excited to see his daughters....yeah right, he was excited to see his grandson. He is getting summer fever and is so excited for his summer break so he can help my mom watch Carson on the days I work. So, for something different, we went and got Subway and ate in the teacher's lounge and showed Carson off to all of my dad's co-workers. It was a really fun adventure for all three of us.

And The Fun Begins

On Monday (May 19th) I sat there and told a nurse that I work with that I have never seen Carson throw a tantrum. I should've knocked on wood. Today was Carson's first little tantrum. I was at Ikea with my sister and some friends and he was playing with a water bottle. I had to pry it away from him to go and change his diaper and he threw a fit! He started kicking his legs and he scream and screeched a little, until I got him and the diaper bag on the move. Then, later on today I took him away from my sister's dinner table and she has a table runner he tugs on. I am so afraid he'll pull it off with the table decor with it, hitting him in the head. He was on his feet and I was holding his hands and he started jumping and screaming because he was so upset that I took him away from all of his fun. Now all he has to do is learn how to say no and we'll all be in trouble.

Good News

I just wanted to let everyone know that Dave and I have an apartment waiting for us at the Windwood Apartments! We are so excited. Our move in date is July 1, so we are very happy about it. As you all know, we have been living with my sister Gina and her husband Beau until one of the apartments opened up. They are so convenient and right in between both of our jobs. Not to mention, they are cheaper than anywhere we could find here in Salt Lake. It will be nice to live in an apartment for a little while longer until we save enough for a house. I also have some good news. I got a raise at the hospital, so I have quit the surgery center. I only make 20 cents less instead of 2.50 less and I will make up the extra with the call I take. My last day is May 23, then it's off to the hospital. I enjoy the hospital so much more. I complained about it all of the time before and after I had Carson, but after going to another place, I realized how much I missed it and all of the people there, so going to that surgery center was an eye opener for me. It made me realize I had it good at Jordan Valley. I am so sad that I can't quite stay at home with Carson full time yet, but I will only work Monday and Tuesday and I'm on call from 11p-7a on Tuesday night then I'm done the rest of the week. I will only have to take one Saturday every 2 months, so it won't be so bad. Things are definitely looking up for us!

My Favorite Things Carson Does

I thought that I would share a few of my favorite things that Carson does. I want to do this because I have heard mom's say that they forget some of the funny things that their kids do while they're little. Yet I have so many pictures of everything, that I may not forget. I am a pictureholic!

1. Carson loves to peek at you if you are calling him from under a table. He is always so happy to find you too.

2. He is so happy when he gets to go for a ride in his stroller. He sits up straight and on the edge of his seat and tries to take everything in. He's so curious and loves to look at everything.

3. He walks around the coffee table or furniture and spits and razzes and blows in and out with the shhhh essshh sound. It's so funny. We always have to wipe off everything. The noises he makes are so cute. Recently he has started making really cute squeaking noises.

4. Ever since Dave's graduation, we've had his balloons hanging around the house. He seriously knows what they are. He will be holding it and when he let's it go, he throws himself back against me or dad and watches it float up to the ceiling. Then, he will reach up for it and go, "ba." It's so cute! These balloons in this picture are from when Aunt Gina won Employee of the Month. Carson joined in the celebration.

5. I love how he plays with his hair. One minute it's all crazy and the next he looks like a missionary! He plays with it all of the time. He'll play with his hair while he's eating either a bottle or at his high chair. He also plays with my hair when he's drinking his bottle. I like my hair being played with so I'll take what I can get.

6. He is so smart. He knows how to open the drawer of the end table at my sister's house. He knows it's open and he opens it as if he hopes to find something new he can play with inside.

7. If he is at the coffee table and he can't get to the couch, he will reach down and try to pick up your leg because he knows it's used as a bridge to get where he wants to go. Here he is reaching for my leg! He's so funny!

8. This shouldn't be one of my favorite things but whenever we tell him no, he starts to laugh. Just the start of a mischievous future. He'll run towards something he knows he'll get told no to and he stops to look at you so he can see your expression on your face or see what you're going to say. Then if you disapprove, he runs even faster towards it and then you say, "Carson, no no" he starts to laugh. Silly boy! This picture he is laughing because I told him no no for biting.

9. Carson is a crasher! He just plays and plays and plays and then he crashes. It's like he holds out for his naps so long. He'll crash anywhere, yet he is a very light sleeper at night.

10. It's incredible how much he shows his love for mom and dad. Dave and I went to game 4 for the Jazz vs. the Rockets and Carson had fallen asleep at my parent's house. We put him in his carseat and buckled him in and he didn't budge. When we got him home and in bed, a couple minutes later he started to cry. Dave went to get him and when Dave picked him up, he shreaked with excitement and gave him a tight squeeze around his neck. He fell back asleep, yet he still kept on waking up and crying, so I went in there and he did the same thing to me, and fell asleep. He slept the rest of the night. I know how much he loves us and we love him too! I know that his picture of Carson and I is on my mother's day blog, but this is really one of the only pictures I have with him. I need to get more.

The Swing

This evening Carson, Daddy and I took a walk to Beargrass Park inside the neighborhood. It's a little park with a couple of swings, a slide and a bench. Oh, and a gazebo with no roof on it and nothing underneath it. It was perfect though! It was nice to be able to go on a little adventure and try something new. Carson went on the swings all by himself today for the first time! He was so excited. He kept kicking his legs with excitement and Dave and I both thought he was going to go flying out of there.

I didn't get very many pictures because my camera went dead on me, but I think I got at least three, so that's probably plenty to some people. Not for me though. I love taking pictures of my cute boy when he does something for the first time.

The Nest

The wonderful thing about being a parent, is that you want your kids to see and learn as much as possible, even if they are too young to take it all in. There is a Starling couple who have built their nest inside of Gina and Beau's grill on their deck in the backyard. I think it is so cool because all you have to do is open the lid and the momma bird flies out and there are 5 adorable little blue eggs sitting there. They have rebuilt that nest 5 or 6 times. Beau has gone out there to clean one day and the next, there's a whole new nest in there again. Before he got around to cleaning it again, there were eggs. All of us don't have the heart to destroy it again. I think it's cool that there is something growing inside of those eggs and it's not even attached to it's mom. How do they live and survive? It just baffles me.

Carson and I love going out and looking at the eggs. He seems so intrigued by it, so I guess it's always fun to explore nature at any age.

My First Mother's Day

I just want to say Happy Mother's Day to all the mother's I know who actually read this blog. We had a really fun day. Carson and Dad made me breakfast in bed. Barbie Princess Eggo waffles with some eggs. As all of you know, Dave and I have been dieting (eating better) so he also cut me up a cheese stick as well to get all of my protein in for the day! Dave has lost 7 lbs and I've lost around 9 or 10. It doesn't look like it for me, but Dave is starting to look awesome...he always has. Anyway, we went to church and I got a rose for Mother's Day. Then we came home and got ready to watch the Jazz game. It was a really good game, so I didn't mind watching it at all. Carson and Dave got me each a card and Carson even signed his! It's so cute! That is why he had pen on his face the whole day! I got a mug that you freeze in the freezer so your drink stays nice and cold. The movie Secondhand Lions. I loved that movie. Dave and I saw it on TV the other day and I asked him why we didn't own it. He takes good notes, doesn't he? Then Carson got me a certificate to go get my hair done and to go tanning. I am albino white. I need some color! I don't tan much, but I thought I'd go and get started on it while the weather is still fluctuating. But, my most favorite gift that I got were magnetic frames for my locker at work. Everyone has pictures of thier kids on or in their locker and I wanted some so I can show my little boy off. Now I get to hang his pictures on the front of my locker at work for everyone to see!

I am so lucky to be a mom and have the two best boys in my life! They help me get through everything! Carson is so awesome! He's so smart and he's so happy all of the time, which is still an example to me. I need to be happier. Dave helps me out so much and is always so willing to get up with Carson in the middle of the night. I am so grateful to have them in my life.

*Freerice.com*

I just wanted to share this wonderful website to all of you. It's called Freerice.com and it quizzes you on your vocabulary and each word you get right, they donate 20 grains of rice through the UN World Food Program.

I guess some guy set it up for his son so that he could get some practice for his ACT's. It's an awesome website. You can freshen up on your vocabulary and help feed the hungry at the same time. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.

Wet Curly Hair

Cute Boy!

Carson's Walker

This has got to be the funnest thing that we have purchased for Carson. It is so fun to see him walk around with this thing. He is so cute and little and I love how it will help him with learning how to walk and keep his balance. We got it for him for Easter and I am happy to see it gets used for more than just the toys now. He really enjoys it. Thanks Kirstin for recommending this toy.

Congratulations Dave

We are so excited that this day finally came. Today Dave graduated from David Eccles School of Business with his Bachelor's Degree in Marketing. He also got his Minor in Spanish. We couldn't be more happy or more excited for him. I think that we are happy that we'll have a dad and a husband home a little more. He is planning on working for a while and he's considering about going back to get his Master's Degree, which would be good for him to do if that is what he wants to do. Carson and I will support him in any decision he makes!

I threw Dave a graduation BBQ even though there was no BBQing involved. Carson and I have been sick the last two weeks, so we made it easier on ourselves. We did croissant sandwiches and had everyone help bring the side dishes. It was in the park down the street from my parent's house. It was a lot of fun. Dave had no clue! Thank you all for keeping it a secret. He was so surprised when we arrived to the park. The Mangum's van is what gave it away when we were coming closer to the park. He goes, "Hey, that looks like the Mangum's van"! And is was. Then he said, "Wait a minute, what did you do"? It was really funny.

I just want to thank everyone for coming to support Dave. It was so nice to have the turn out that we did considering I was a procrastinator and didn't give everyone a lot of notice. I want to thank all of Dave's family and my family for your help in setting things up and providing food. The get together wouldn't have been as big as a success if it weren't for all of you. Everyone offered to bring something, but luckily I didn't need everyone's help. I want to thank Dave's friends for being so awesome! It means a lot to us for you to come and support our family events. We love all of you!